More places being evaluated: City, three towns ‘poll hotspots’

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Provincial Police Office will recommend at least three towns and one city as election hotspots in the May elections.

Senior Superintendent Clifford Gairanod, CPPO director, identified them as Bogo City and the towns of Dumanjug, San Fernando, and Tuburan.

The number is still fewer compared to past elections, as there were five in 2010 and 23 in 2013.

Gairanod, though, said they were still contemplating which of the 23 places identified in 2013 they would recommend again for this May.

He said that of the four, Dumanjug is on top of his list due to intense political rivalry and the ambush incident last December.

Dumanjug, he said, is followed by Tuburan because an intelligence report showed that goons from Masbate might be coming over during the election period, recalling that suspected goons were arrested by the police in 2013.

Bogo City is also included on his list because of the movement of private armed groups in the city during the past elections.

 “Kausa pa nag-meeting ang Comelec ug AFP, napag-usapan asa ang himoon nga watchlist. Posibli nga mahimong watchlist, katong may insidente nga may pusil,” Gairanod said.

He also mentioned Sta. Fe in Bantayan island, Pinamungajan, Ronda, Barili, Alcantara, San Remigio, Tabuelan, Medellin, Borbon, and Sogod are also being evaluated for possible inclusion in their Election Watchlist Areas (EWAs).

He, however, said that his recommendation need to be discussed with the Comelec and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to see if there really is a need to declare the said areas as election hotspots.

 “We still have to meet our counterparts, among meeting-ngon basi sa mga panghitabo…. Kana kung unsay kisaw nila. I think the Comelec and the AFP will agree,” he said.

Meanwhile, Gairanod said at least five towns and two cities are being monitored for possible presence of narco-politics, where drug groups are suspected to serve as private armies of politicians in the coming elections.

In a press briefing, he said these drug groups are either financing politicians or serving as goons to some of the politicians.

“We have municipa-lities that we are monitoring right now. Kining mga tawhana raba mga kursonada kaayo, parehas sa atong raid gahapon nga gipabuthan pa akong mga polis,” he said. — (FREEMAN)