Police monitor 386 villages as concerned areas

PALO, Leyte — Police in Eastern Visayas are closely monitoring more than 300 barangays considered as potential flashpoints of election related incidents this coming October 25 elections.

Regional Police Director for Eastern Visayas Arnold Revilla said his office is closely watching 386 barangays in the region, which are considered potential flashpoints for political or election related violence.

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Revilla said out of the 386 barangays, 86 of are classified under category 1 while the other 300 barangays are under the classification of category 2.

Category 1, are villages with influence of the New People’s Army and with the reported presence of private armed groups (PAGs).

Category 2, on the other hand are villages with records of election related incidents in the past two elections.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Eastern Visayas Regional Director Jose Nick Mendros, meanwhile, said village elections, as observed in the past elections held in the country, turn out mostly to be violent largely because of the personal relationships among candidates and their supporters.

However, Mendros is optimistic that considering that the 386 barangays is just a small fraction of the total 4,390 barangays in the region, the forthcoming election will turn out to be peaceful one, adding that, with his office, the PNP and the AFP working together the goal of achieving the honest, orderly and peaceful elections this October will be attained.

Revilla said he ordered his men in the field to conduct checkpoints all over the region and the strict implementation of the total gun ban. As of this posting, police apprehended a total of 16 gun ban violators in the region.

He also directed a daily monitoring of the prevailing situation in these villages and to initiate immediate action to pre-empt any outbreak of election-related violence in these villages especially those belonging under the category 1. (Restituto A. Cayubit)