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Sunday, May 02, 2004
Palace says polls security under control
MANILA -- Malacañang on Saturday said that it has next week's elections firmly secured with the help of the military and the national police.
In a statement, Palace Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said the administration--which has been rocked by a number of coup tries due to perceived widespread corruption--is "confident that the security measures being implemented by the AFP and PNP will reduce cases of election-related violence."
Bunye said the President is "calling on all voters to be vigilant and cooperative with authorities to help the government protect their democratic rights", even as Arroyo vowed to come down hard on perpetrators of violence.
"The authorities will continue to hold the line against partisan or ideologically motivated violence."
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) earlier said it is set to declare at least three provinces and 16 towns around the country under its control due to deteriorating peace and order brought about by intense political rivalry in the areas.
Comelec sources identified the provinces as Mindoro in Southern Tagalog region, and Catanduanes and Masbate in Bicol region.
The 16 towns are mostly located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Pangasinan, Abra and the Bicol area.
Areas of concern
And with only eight days before the elections, the Police Regional office (PRO) 7 has declared a total of 25 towns and four cities as election areas of concern (EAC) in Central Visayas.
PRO 7 records showed that Cebu and Negros Oriental have 10 potential hotspots each, while Bohol has nine. Siquijor, the region’s smallest province, has no reported EAC yet.
Although not declared as EACs, the towns of Daanbantayan, Cebu and Panglao, Lila and Inabanga in Bohol have been categorized as special areas.
Senior Supt. Lani-o Nerez, PRO 7 regional operations and plans division chief, said these towns have been under close watch, both by the PNP and AFP, because of intense political rivalries there.
In Cebu, the EACs are Danao and Toledo Cities and the towns of Madridejos, Minglanilla, Naga, Oslob, Samboan, Santander, Sogod and Tabuelan.
In Negros Oriental, these are Kanlaon City and the towns of La Libertad, Mabinay, Vallehermoso, Himalalod, San Jose, Zamboanguita, Bingoy, Siaton and Ayungon.
The PRO 7 also declared Tagbilaran City in Bohol, and the municipalities of Alicia, Batuan, Bilar, Buenavista, Calape, Dawis, Sagbayan and San Isidro as EACs.
Nerez said that no areas yet in Central Visayas have been declared as election hotpots. If there is one, this will be placed under the control of the Commission on Elections.
Latest figures of election-related violence, however, showed the number of violent incidents in this year’s election period, from Dec. 15 to June 8, have already surpassed that of the 1998 national elections.
Records showed 137 election-related violent incidents committed since January to April 30 in at least seven different regions around the country.
Figures showed that a total of 83 persons have been killed, while 117 others were wounded.
Meanwhile, the PRO 7 will start deploying the 450 neophyte cops undergoing a six-month basic PNP basic course to different police stations in Region 7.
Bohol got the most number of new policemen at 140, followed by Negros Oriental at 90; Cebu, 70; Cebu City, 40; and Mandaue City and Siquijor, 20 each.
Nerez said some of these new policemen will be assigned to Camp Sergio Osmeña, the home of PRO 7, as 70 percent of the camp’s office personnel will be assigned to field units in the cities of Cebu and Mandaue.
But Nerez pointed out that these neophyte policemen, who still have to complete their basic course next month, will only be assigned in police stations to do administrative and clerical work.
He said that they will replace the PNP organic members, who will be assigned in the field to maintain order on election day.
“The movement is to maximize security in the field. Members of the Regional Mobile Group 7 will also be deployed to augment the local police force,” Nerez added. Garry A. Cabotaje/Benjamin B. Pulta
(May 2, 2004 issue)
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