Friday, October 12, 2007 Davao cops all set for barangay, SK polls By Carlo P. Mallo
POLICE in Davao Region reported Thursday that they are all set for the conduct of the upcoming synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections on October 29.
Chief Supt. Andres Caro II, regional police chief, said in Thursday's AFP-PNP Press Conference that they are more than prepared for the conduct of the elections.
He said the implementation of the election gun ban since late last month has in fact led to the arrest of 13 violators all over the region.
Moreover, the police force is also looking at more than 400 villages in the region as election areas of immediate concern.
Only two areas have been placed under the second category of election areas of concern.
Of the 400 villages, 50 percent are situated in the province of Davao del Sur, which accounts for 216 villages placed under the category of election areas of immediate concern. A far second is Compostela Valley, with 73 villages placed under the same category.
On the other hand, Malita town in Davao del Sur has only been categorized as an election area of concern despite its bloody history in the hotly contested May 2007 midterm polls.
A mayoralty candidate in the municipality was allegedly shot dead by a gubernatorial bet of the province after an altercation that arose from reports of electoral fraud.
The other area placed under the election area of concern is Monkayo town in Compostela Valley. Election-related violence has also been reported in the previous conduct of elections in the area.
Nonetheless, Caro said he is confident that with the preparations of the police force and with the support of the citizenry, a peaceful and orderly conduct of the polls on October 29 will ensue.
