CARMONA, Cavite – Around 30 days before the holding of the plebiscite for the cityhood of Carmona, Cavite, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and Cavite Provincial Police Office (PPO) launched checkpoints around the locality.

The plebiscite, to be held on July 8 2023, Saturday, based on Proclamation No. 245, declares the date a special non-working holiday in Carmona to give way to the voters and will start from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The checkpoints were launched and led by Provincial Election Supervisor (PES) Atty. Mico Morales-Castro in concurrent capacity as acting election officer of Carmona for the duration of the plebiscite period together with the Cavite PPO under Police Colonel Christopher Olazo, local police chief P/Lt. Col. Jefferson Ison, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

Checkpoints were launched at 12:01 midnight, June 8, 2023, in front of the town plaza in Poblacion and actual checkpoints in Barangay Bancal will end on July 15, 2023.

According to Morales-Castro, around 58,691 voters are eligible to participate in the plebiscite based on the record of the local election office here.

Before its impending move to cityhood, Carmona town, under Mayor Dahlia Loyola and Cavite 5th District Congressman Roy Loyola, was the country’s “richest municipality,” with assets totaling over P6.212 billion.

While Carmona is short of the minimum land area of at least 100 square kilometers, it more than makes up for its population of 106,256 – more than the minimum of 100,000.

If the “Yes” vote wins, the town of Carmona will become the 8th city of the Province of Cavite, along with General Trias, Imus, Bacoor, Dasmariñas, Tagaytay, Trece Martires, and the historic Cavite City.

The plebiscite was implemented in the order of Republic Act (RA) No. 11938, which was approved on February 23, 2023, provides for the conversion of the Municipality of Carmona into a component city to be known as the City of Carmona and based it for Comelec Resolution No. 10901, setting the date of the plebiscite to ratify the conversion signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin by the authority of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. posted on June 1, 2023.

“We are hoping na maging mataas ang turnout at lumabas lahat ng mga Carmonians (Carmona resident) to cast their votes for either ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’ Kaakibat din po ng halalan o plebiscite ang ‘gun ban’ po and ‘liquor ban’ a day before the plebiscite day,” Atty. Morales-Castro said in an interview.

A Provincial First Carmona Plebiscite Joint Security Command Conference was launched before the forthcoming plebiscite in Carmona, Cavite, presided over by Comelec Chairman Atty. George Erwin M. Garcia.

During the conference, P/Col. Christopher F. Olazo, provincial director of the Cavite PPO, scheduled the establishment of a checkpoint within the area of responsibility of Carmona for midnight on June 8, 2023.

Present during the said activity were PBGen. Carlito M Gaces, Regional Director, PRO Calabarzon; P/Col. Roel C Rodolfo, DRDO PRO4-A; P/Lt. Col. Jefferson Ison, OIC, Carmona MPS; and Comm. Aimee P Ferolino, Commissioner-in-Charge, Carmona Plebiscite; Dir. Monalisa C Mamukid, Regional Election Officer-Calabarzon; Candice Rona Ramirez, MLGOO, DILG Carmona; other Comelec offices; and the local government unit of Carmona.