MAYORAL candidate Pompee La Viña said the election hotspot tag of Cagayan de Oro is good for the city as this can stop rampant vote-buying and other illegal activities during the election period.
La Viña said placing the city under the election hotspot tag will mean heightened security measures in all areas of the city, including hinterland barangays.
“Mayo man na kay kining ilang panghulga sa mga botante labina s kabukiran, panggamit sa mga armed groups, flying voters, rampant vote-buying nga maoy nadunggan nako nga ilang plano, mapunggan na sya pinaagi ana,” he said.
“Walay problema na sa ako, maayo na, put it under the control of Comelec (Commission on Elections), do not put it under the control of the city mayor,” he added.
Reports of corruption and the spate of killings could be the reason for declaring Cagayan De Oro City as one of the areas of concern in the scheduled election this year.
La Viña said that the killings, including the shooting, in broad daylight, of the former town mayor of Bukidnon and a top police official, must have prompted the PNP to declare the city as area of concerned.
Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) spokesperson Superintendent Mardy Hortillosa meanwhile said they are working to remove the election hotspot tag.
Hortillosa said they would persuade the higher headquarters that the city should not be listed as a “hotspot” for elections as there have been no election-related violence in the past and presence of armed groups.
City Administrator Teddy Sabuga-a for his part brushed off La Viña's tirades, saying he understands that La Viña needs to keep making statements to be relevant.
“Una, kini si Pompee he really wanted nga ma-news sya, kay daghan wala pa kaila sa iya. Kana nga statement, it's like trying to let the people believe he has connections in Manila, even though he is already abandoned by the Duterte administration,” he said.
Sabuga-a called on the public to carefully digest the information fed by their critics.