PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte approved the request of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to deputize law enforcement agencies, other government instrumentalities, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for this year’s national and local elections.
The approval was contained in Memorandum Order #59 dated December 31, 2021, and which was shared by Malacañang to the media.
The memorandum, signed by the president and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, states that law enforcement agencies and concerned government offices are expected to coordinate and assist the Comelec in the performance of its duties.
This is in response to Resolution #10744 of the Comelec wherein the poll body sought the concurrence of the president in deputizing law enforcement agencies and government instrumentalities for the upcoming local and national elections to be held on May 9, 2022.
As stated in Article 9-C, Section 2, Paragraph 4 of the Constitution, with the concurrence of the president, the Comelec now has the authority to deputize law enforcement and other government agencies, including the AFP, for the objective of ensuring that the elections will be free, orderly, honest, peaceful and credible.