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Saturday, February 24, 2007
Zambo Peninsula politician hiring goons: poll body
By Bong Garcia
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- A ranking election officer in Zamboanga Peninsula revealed that some politicians have started hiring the services of armed groups from other Mindanao regions for the forthcoming elections.
The armed groups of one such politician have started arriving in his area of jurisdiction, said Zamboanga del Sur provincial election officer Ignacio Baya.
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Baya said the armed groups came from the provinces of Lanao and Cotabato and were hired by a politician who is from Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur.
Without naming the political aspirant, Baya said the politician is known to be influential in Tukuran.
"Per our monitoring, there are armed groups coming from Lanao and Cotabato. Tukuran town is the last municipality of Zamboanga del Sur and next to that is already Lanao," he said.
Baya said he has already recommended that the town of Tukuran be included in the election body's list of "areas of immediate concerns" in the region.
Zamboanga Peninsula election officer Helen Aguila-Flores earlier identified the towns of Buug, Kabasalan and Payao in Zamboanga Sibugay; Dimataling, Dinas, Labangan and Olutanga in Zamboanga del Sur; Sibuco in Zamboanga del Norte; and the island barangays in Zamboanga City as "immediate areas of concern" during the May 14 elections.
Flores's office covers the provinces of Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and the cities of Dapitan, Dipolog, Pagadian, Isabela and Zamboanga.
Baya said two politicians have so far filed their certificates of candidacies in the province of Zamboanga del Sur. (Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Zamboanga. (February 24, 2007 issue)
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