“The cornerstone of election security is proactive deployment, not just after-the-fact investigations”
It is alarming how violence and intimidation continue to mar the country’s path toward clean and peaceful elections, despite repeated assurances and high-level coordination meetings. At the center of this crisis is Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., the Deputy Chief PNP for Administration and concurrently the man tasked with preventing election-related violence and other crimes.
The question now is: Has he done enough?
The latest threat against journalist Romy Gonzales of DZRH, reportedly hurled by no less than La Paz, Abra Mayor and congressional aspirant Joseph “JB” Bernos, is not just another isolated act of political arrogance. It is a direct assault on press freedom, and more tellingly, a reflection of the PNP’s failure to preempt or contain violent behavior among local politicians.
While the National Press Club and the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) have rightfully condemned this brazen act and initiated investigations, the Philippine National Police—under the watch of Gen. Nartatez—has been noticeably reactive rather than preventive.
This is not the only case. Since the start of the election period on January 12, several incidents of shootings, threats, harassment of opposition candidates and community leaders, and now media intimidation have been reported across various hotspots nationwide. And yet, despite holding weekly briefings with regional directors, no clear deterrent mechanism seems to be working.
What’s the use of convening meetings if on-the-ground enforcement remains weak? The cornerstone of election security is proactive deployment, not just after-the-fact investigations. But what we see is a PNP leadership, particularly under Nartatez, that seems more focused on optics than outcomes.
The police general’s position gives him broad influence over resource mobilization, deployment plans, and coordination with the Commission on Elections and DILG. Why then are reporters being threatened with impunity? Why are political warlords still able to intimidate without consequence? Why are the very people supposed to uphold peace allowed to become the aggressors?
The Philippine National Police cannot afford to stumble, especially in an election season already fraught with polarization and historical baggage. The failure to secure journalists like Romy Gonzales, and others who dare to report the truth, sends the message that thuggery is tolerated under Nartatez’s watch.
If the police general cannot ensure that law enforcers are one step ahead of violence and political intimidation—if he cannot even secure the country’s frontliners in truth-telling—could he be the wrong person for the job?
As of April 29, the PNP said the number of validated election-related incidents had risen to 35, with 13 reported fatalities. One of the latest recorded fatalities was Ang Bumbero ng Pilipinas (ABP) Partylist nominee, Leninsky Bacud. Bacud was shot multiple times by unidentified gunmen along P. Guevarra Street in Barangay 435, Zone 44 in Sampaloc, Manila.
According to preliminary reports from the Manila Police District (MPD), the shooting occurred shortly before 6 p.m. on April 28. Witnesses described the assailants as riding-in-tandem motorcycle gunmen who fled the scene immediately after the shooting.
Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna vowed that no stone will be left unturned as she condemned the assassination of Bacud, former barangay chairman of Barangay 435 in Sampaloc district. She directed Manila Police District Director PBGen Benigno Guzman to mobilize all available resources and lead a thorough, impartial and relentless investigation into the said case and ensure that every angle is pursued.
Based on data from January 12 to April 28, the highest number of election-related incidents were recorded in the Cordillera and Bangsamoro regions, with 11 and 8 incidents, respectively.
Region IV-A (CALABARZON) followed with five incidents, while Zamboanga Peninsula had three. Two incidents each were also reported in the Western Visayas and Davao regions, and one incident each in Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Eastern Visayas, and Region 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN).
All this shows that the time for excuses is over. Preventing violence is not about managing reports after they happen — it’s about making sure they never happen at all.
Let the case of Romy Gonzales serve as a wake-up call: election-related violence is real, and right now, the PNP’s efforts to stop it do not seem to be enough. (Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)
