Defense, Interior execs conducting joint area visits nationwide

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 7): Defense, Interior execs conducting joint area visits nationwide

To ensure that all police and military units will remain non-partisan during the coming 2016 national elections, the heads of the Defense and Interior departments are conducting joint area visits all over the country.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento paid a visit on Monday to Puerto Princesa City, Palawan where the military's Western Command is headquartered.

Last week, Gazmin and Sarmiento made a similar visit to the Lucena City-based Southern Luzon Command.

"Secretary of National Defense Voltaire T. Gazmin and Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Mel Senen Sarmiento are undertaking joint area visits across the country as part of a year-end inspection to boost the morale of our troops, and to underscore the importance of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and PNP (Philippine National Police)'s non-partisanship in any and all forms of political activities," DND spokesperson Dr. Peter Paul Galvez said.

Both officials reiterated the importance of the AFP and PNP’s stance to remain non-partisan and professional, especially in the forthcoming 2016 elections.

The two also stressed that while allowing the electoral process to run its course, active soldiers and police officers must remain focused on their duties and mandate to the country.

During the visit, the officials also underscored the necessity of inter-operability between the military and police in conducting their joint missions, in order "to protect and serve our people in a better capacity."

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=835237