WHEREAS,    the    Commission    on   Elections    is   constitutionally mandated  to  achieve  its primordial  objectives  of  holding  free,  orderly, honest, peaceful and credible elections;

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Constitution, the Omnibus Election Code and  other  election  laws,  the Commission  on  Elections  may  deputize  law enforcement agencies and instrumentalities of the government, including the Philippine National Police and exercise direct supervision and control over such agencies required by law to perform duties relative to the conduct of the elections;

WHEREAS,   the   Commission   issued   Resolution   No.   8374   dated November 28, 2007 setting special elections on December 15, 2007 in the affected barangays where no elections were  held for  Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan on October 29, 2007;

WHEREAS,   reports by   field officials of the Commission have attributed most failure of elections to occurrence of rampant and widespread threats,  harassments, and intimidations directed against members of the Board of Election Tellers, Board of Canvassers and civilians, terrorism,violence and political killings among candidates, their followers and supporters  by  indiscriminate  use  of  firearms  and  other deadly  weapons, to prevent the holding of the October 29, 2007 elections;

WHEREAS,  there  is  a  possibility  that  the  teachers  who  were  the original members of the Board of Election Tellers (BETs) in Barangays of affected municipalities in the Province of Lanao del Sur, Shariff Kabunsuan and  Sulu  will not  serve  this  coming  December  15,  2007  Special  Election because  of  rampant  and  widespread  threats, harassments  and  intimidations against them;

WHEREAS,  to  prevent  the  recurrence  of  such  violent  incidents  and failure  of  elections  in those  affected barangays,  the  Commission  deems  it necessary to deputize the Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel and/or PNP trainees  of  Region  10  to  act  as  Special  Board  of  Election

Tellers (SBETs) for the purpose of Special Election in the province of Lanao del Sur totaling  about  one thousand  four  hundred  sixty  one  (1,461  <=  487  total clustered precinct x3) and PNP trainees of ARMM equivalent to the number of BETs that will serve in precincts of barangays that failed in municipalities for the Provinces of Shariff Kabunsuan and Sulu;

NOW, THEREFORE, the Commission on Elections, by virtue of the powers  vested  in  it  by  the Constitution,  the Omnibus  Election  Code, Republic Act Nos. 6646, 7166, 9006 and other related laws, has RESOLVED to deputize the PNP trainees in Region 10 for Lanao del Sur and PNP trainees in ARMM as Chairman or members of Special Board of Election Tellers where DepEd BET Chair/Members may not report for duty in all affected areas of Lanao Sur, Shariff Kabunsuan and Sulu where special elections are  scheduled  to  be  held  on  December  15, 2007  pursuant  to Comelec Resolution No. 8374.

Let  the  Office  of  the  Executive  Director  and  the  Education  and Information Department implement this resolution with dispatch.

SO ORDERED.