BACOLOD CITY – The Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines will jointly deploy more than 1,000 policemen and soldiers to ensure a peaceful and orderly special election in the Fifth District of Negros Occidental on June 2.

The district's congressional post has been declared vacant by the House of Representatives after Rep. Ignacio Arroyo succumbed to a liver ailment last January.

The Fifth District covers the towns of Moises Padilla, La Castellana, Isabela, Hinigaran, Binalbagan, and Himamaylan City.

Commissioner Armando Velasco During, who attended the joint security meeting in Bacolod City last week, said the Commission on Election has reached a consensus en banc to proceed with the June 2 special election despite a petition before the Supreme Court to stop it.

He said the COMELEC has already spent P3 million of the P21.6-million fund for the special election.

"It would be a waste to call it off at this time," he added.

During the joint security meeting, 38 polling precincts have been categorized as difficult to reach due to inaccessibility of transportation, but no barangay has been categorized as an "election watchlist area."

The police will assign its 700 personnel to man the 117 polling precincts, and secure its outside perimeters while the military will deploy 500 soldiers to reinforce the policemen.

"We have an adequate police force to secure the June 2 special election," Senior Supt. Allan Guisihan, provincial police director, said.

Col. Oscar Lactao, commander of the Army's 303rd Infantry Brigade, said the military will maximize its visibility operations in the hinterlands particularly especially in the six barangays classified as rebel-influenced areas.

The filing of certificates of candidacy ends Wednesday and the official campaign period will start the following day, May 17.*NLG