‘Reds threat to Negros polls’

From the Visayan Daily Star (May 4): ‘Reds threat to Negros polls’

A Philippine Army official said the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in Negros Island is a potential force to reckon with during the synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on May 14.

The CPP-NPA could be fielding their own candidates during the barangay and SK polls, Lt. Col. Darrell Bañez, commander of the 62nd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, said Wednesday.

“We’re looking particularly at (CPP-NPA) affected barangays as they might be fielding their own candidates to have permanent control in them,” he said.

He also said, all the areas declared as Election Watchlist Areas (EWAS) are affected by insurgency.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police announced on Wednesday that there are 73 barangays in 17 towns and cities in Negros Oriental included in the EWAS.

Majority of these are in the first and second districts of Negros Oriental and are part of the area coveredby the 62nd IB.

Guihulngan City in northern Negros Oriental has the highest number with 20 barangays declared as EWAS.

Bañez said many residents of Guihulngan City are “sympathizers” of the CPP-NPA.

Meanwhile, Col. Inocencio Pasaporte, deputy commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine in Negros Island, also admitted that the CPP-NPA poses a bigger threat to the security in Negros Island, especially during the barangay and SK elections.

“They are distributed in different areas in the island and, based on that, we have sent troops to these areas and we tied up with the PNP for this coming election,” Pasaporte said.

“We have created Task Group Halalan to ensure peaceful and orderly elections,” he said.

Pasaporte, however, said that, right now, there is no specific threat from the CPP-NPA as the Philippine Army is continuing with its combat operations.

The Komiteng Rehiyon Negros (KRN) of the CPP-NPA is believed to be eyeing a so-called guerilla zone expansion area in central Negros Oriental, dubbed as BATMANAY, but this was neutralized after the arrest of six people, including a young woman, during an encounter in Mabinay town.

BATMANAY is an acronym for the municipalities of Bindoy, Ayungon, Tayasan, Manjuyod, and Mabinay.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2018/May/04/topstory6.htm