ZAMBOANGA CITY – Philippine authorities have provided different data on the number of so-called election hotspots in next month’s Barangay and Sanguniang Kabataan polls.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines said it is closely monitoring about 300 barangays in Western Mindanao or Zamboanga Peninsula region, the CARAGA Region and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao – all in southern Philippines; and the Bicol Region, Cordillera Administrative Region and Central Luzon due to the presence of rebels and private armies.
This was confirmed by military spokesman Army Col. Medel Aguilar, who fears violence may erupt before or during the elections.
The Philippine National Police said it is also keeping an eye on at least 48 private armies or armed groups in the country and branded at least 27 areas as “areas of grave concern.
National Police Chief Benjamin Acorda Jr. said they are closely watching the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and Negros Oriental province where troubles may erupt.
Police have categorized the areas of concern into three color-coded categories - Yellow, Orange and Red - depending on the prevailing peace and order situation, and the political atmosphere in those areas.
Yellow code means areas under it have had a history of election violence; Orange is where there is a serious armed threat and Red means the areas may be placed under the control of the Commission on Elections due to extreme poll violence.
The police said it is monitoring the political situation in Maguindanao del Norte in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao due to intense rivalries, especially in the towns of Parang, Sultan Mastura, and Datun Odin Sinsuat. Police are also considering reshuffling its commanders in the province ahead of the polls to ensure unbiased or prevent any perception of familiarity between candidates or their political backers.
Among the areas the police force in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao are closely watching are Cotabato, Lamitan and Marawi cities and 32 other towns – 13 in Maguindanao del Sur; eight in Lanao del Sur; seven in Basilan; two in Maguindanao del Norte and two in Sulu - including the so-called Special Geographic Area in North Cotabato province consisting of 63 barangays in six municipalities, according to the regional police chief, Col. Allan Nobleza, who recommended that these areas be placed under the control of the Commission on Elections.
The election period runs until November 29 while the campaign period is set from October 19 to 28 and Election Day is October 30. Even before the campaign began, there had been many reports of killings which targeted potential candidates and incumbent officials in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and other areas in the South.
Vote-buying during the campaign period is also rampant in the region, including Zamboanga City where politicians have their own candidates. Last year’s local and national elections saw barangay officials supervising the putting up of tarpaulins on their mayoralty candidates, and some even used barangay vehicles to secretly transport campaign materials. (Mindanao Examiner)
No comments:
Post a Comment