Amacna, F. C. (2019). STEP UP: Strengthening election partners, underscoring the PNP (Unpublished master's thesis). Public Management Development Program, Development Academy of the Philippines.

Public Management Development Program Middle Managers' Class Batch 18 Thesis (MMC)--Development Academy of the Philippines

Democracy is concretized when the right of suffrage in exercised freely. The freedom of choice could be savoured when the agency, together with its partners mandated to administer and vanguard that freedom, ensures the smooth administration of the process and provides security for the orderly and peaceful electoral exercise. The 1987 Constitution of the Philippines mandates the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to administer the conduct of elections. It is empowered, too, to deputize security forces to see to it that there are orderly, peaceful and successful elections. The importance of the PNP and the AFP as election partners could not go unnoticed. Without them, administering elections would be that hard or impossible. The PNP, as election partner, is required to be competent regarding the conduct of election, specifically along election security management. Knowledge, skill and attitude of being an election deputy are real demands for them to be able to be effective partners of the COMELEC. On the other hand, issuances of resolutions concerning election security matters and the prohibited acts are not compiled or codified by the COMELEC for easy study reference by the PNP and other security forces. There is lack of Knowledge Management on the part of the COMELEC regarding deputation of the PNP and other security forces. This research is entitled STEP UP: Strengthening Election Partners, Underscoring the PNP. This was conducted utilizing the PNP Northern Sama as the unit of the study. The locale of the study was also the Province of Northern Samar. The study sought to answer the following questions: a. What is the level of capacity of the PNP Northern Samar on Election Laws? b. What are the elements of capacity-building that should be introduced to enhance the level of capacity of the PNP Northern Samar on Election Laws? c. What strategies or approaches are necessary and appropriate in undertaking the capacity-building on Election Laws for the PNP? d. What are the significant results of the capacity-building of the PNP on Election Laws? Two hundred seventy two (272) PNP personnel were randomly selected as respondents among the 926 PNP members of the whole province to answer the survey-questionnaires. The number of respondents was determined (using Quatrics automatic online calculator at www.quatrics.com) with 95% as its confidence level, with the 926 as the population size and at 5% margin of errors. This study used the descriptive statistics. The data gathered were described and summarized using the Excel tables, Frequencies, Percentages, Mean, Standard Deviation, Circle graph, Bar graph and statistical commentaries in its discussions were made use of. The researcher, his project team and the election officers, together with the Provincial Director, senior officers of Northern Samar Police Provincial Office and Chiefs of Police of the Municipal Police Stations collaborated and introduced capacity-building programs. Training of Trainers and Workshop on Election Security Management were conducted. Learning modules were taught. PNP's HOPE (Handbook on Peaceful Elections, 2019) was distributed. The following were the major findings: a. The PNP Personnel of Northern Samar highly needed the Knowledge on Election Laws. Accordingly, they needed the Rules on Preliminary Examination on violations on checkpoints and gun ban; Rules on ban on firearms and security personnel; Rules on implementing the "Fair Election Act"; Rules in handling violators, filing and prosecution of election offense cases; Protocol for PNP's deputization as Electoral Boards; Rules on liquor ban; Rules on tearing down and removal of unlawful campaign propaganda; General Instructions for Electoral Boards, and How to conduct checkpoints and How to operate Vote Counting Machines. Yet, in spite of such needs, they believed that they were still capacitated to enforce those election laws. b. Knowledge, skills and attitude were the elements of capacity-building introduced to enhance the level of capacity of the PNP Northern Samar on Election Laws. After identifying and ranking the most needed knowledge, and the skill to be enhanced or mastered, they had that the right attitude and the commitment to attend capacity-building programs; to learn from different learning modules; to read and know what is in PNP's HOPE (Handbook on Peaceful Elections), and the commitment to apply the knowledge gained and become the champions for the knowledge-sharing. c. The training, workshop and handbook were the strategies or approaches considered as necessary and appropriate in undertaking the capacity-building program for the PNP Personnel of Northern Samar. d. The result of the capacity-building program given to the Personnel of Northern Samar Police Provincial Office revealed that the participants were "highly satisfied" on how the program was conducted and on its usefulness to their work as election partners. The Capstone project of the researcher further yielded Election Security Management Plan template and the Proposed Curriculum on Election Security Management. Capacity-building programs for the PNP as election partner could be perpetuated by doing them in the local and national level. Thus, the researcher proposed the following for the sustainability of the Capstone Project: 1. Embedded Course Curriculum on Election Security Management in NPC, PNPA, NPTI, & Regional TRaining Centers through PPSC; 2. Institutionalized Template for Election Security Management Plan; 3. Published Handbook, and 4. Sustained Capacity Building-Program to Northern Samar PNP Personnel. Indeed, the scholar's Management and Leadership Journey during its project implementation were smooth. His Plan Matrix was carried out almost perfect. He managed well his time and stress. He built an effective trust, thereby creating a shared vision. Finally, the scholar was able to motivate both the PNP and his co-workers in the COMELEC. Together, they crafted what was best. By thinking out of the box, they helped one another for the betterment of public service. They built a strong and effective election partnership that would result in an orderly, peaceful and successful conduct of elections. Eventually, democracy will, therefore, be preserved. Freedom of choice will remain true as of democracy to the people. On the May 13, 2019 National and Local Elections in Northern Samar, the researcher readied 59 police officers as part of the NSPPO's poll of Electoral Boards. There was no failure of election in the province, a history to remember.