Under guidelines issued by the Commission on Elections
(COMELEC), Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines
(AFP), the election watchlist areas (EWAs) or "election hotspots,"
are classified into three categories.
This is due to the intense political rivalries, reported
election-related incidents and the presence of Private-Armed Groups (PAGs) in
some provinces for the upcoming elections.
Nine provinces namely Abra, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan,
Masbate, Negros Oriental, Samar , Maguindanao
and Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte are included in the list of election
hotspots, according to PNP.
For Category 1, areas considered are those where violence is
anticipated to happen due to intense political conflicts, private-armed groups,
and proliferation of loose firearms, those used by gun-for-hire gangs.
Under Category 2 are areas where harm and threats are posed
by large armed groups like the New People’s Army, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom
Fighters, Moro National Liberation Front and Abu Sayyaf.
Category 3 is the extreme rank of election hotspots having
the characteristics included in the categories 1 and 2.
Three days before the elections, the PNP is in full alert to
ensure safe and orderly election through the deployment of standby force.
So far, the PNP has recorded 26 validated election related
incidents from 14 incidents recorded last week.
PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor said that region 3
had the most recorded incidents with five, while four incidents were recorded
in Regions 2 and 4-A; three incidents in Regions 1 and 7; two incidents in
Region 10 and NCR and one incident recorded in Regions 5, 9 and Cordillera.
He noted that recorded incidents were mostly shooting
incidents.
So far, the PNP has recorded 131 election-related incidents
(ERIs) were 45 suspected ERIs and 60 non-ERIS since January 10 up to May.
Mayor said police are conducting operations, like setting up
of checkpoints, serving warrants of arrests, and others to thwart violence in
these barangay hotspots.
Meanwhile, more than 200 policemen have been deployed and
readied for deployment as board of election inspectors (BEI) in parts of Lanao
del Norte considered as election "hotspots," Superintendent Surki
Sereñas, Northern Mindanao regional police
spokesman, said.
Sereñas said 149 policemen were sent to serve as BEIs in
Pantar and Nunungan towns while 59 others stand as "reserve BEIs."
He said that policemen were sent to serve as BEIs in Pantar
because the town is now under control of the Commission on Elections after
being assessed as having all characteristics of Category 1, 2, and 3 of
election watchlist areas (EWAs).
Policemen were also deployed as BEIs in Nunungan after
teachers who were supposed to serve as election officers there "backed
out”, he added.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=882998
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