'Merge high-risk areas in Lanao del Norte'

From The Manila Times (Feb 21, 2022): 'Merge high-risk areas in Lanao del Norte' (By Asangan Madale)

THE Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have proposed the consolidation of "high-risk" voting places in six municipalities in Lanao del Norte during the May 9 national and local elections.

The Manila Times learned of this development after the briefing of top MNLF leader Adrian Dowa on the political situation in the province of Lanao del Norte during the two-day consultation meeting held in Cagayan de Oro City attended by the two biggest Moro former group leaders and fighters.

The joint study group has recommended to higher authorities the clustering of these polling places in order to prevent the resurrection of old conflicts between clans.

To neutralize the situation, the group offered to deploy its members in these identified hot spots areas to help the military and police secure the elections. Dowa said Hanif Salindawan of the MILF's 102nd base command identified these towns as Nunungan, Munai, Pantar, Tagoloan, Matungao and Magsaysay. Some of the factors that trigger violence during the conduct of the election are massive vote-buying, deployment of flying voters, the presence of armed groups, existing rido (clan feud) among candidates, and the possibility of biased election officials and teachers — will be present in these towns during an election.

The groups also recommend that voters should not be allowed to use their gadgets/mobile phones to avoid any disruptions in the electoral process.

The group recalled the Tagoloan town incident involving armed rebels of the New People's Army, who took advantage of its location near the borders of Lanao del Sur and Cagayan de Oro City.

"These are our findings based on the history of these towns during election day," Salindawan said.

Musa Sanguila of the Pakigdait Inc., an interfaith nongovernment organization, said these factors are the same old problems encountered during elections in Lanao del Norte.

"It's the same old problems during every election, but what is significant here is that the fighters of the two rebel groups have come together to help," Sanguila said.

He said the fighters are determined to have peaceful and orderly elections on May 9.

Lanao del Norte Police Director Col. Isaias Bacurnay Jr. said the findings of the joint MILF and MNLF study group differ slightly from the assessment by the police.

Bacurnay said the Philippine National Police (PNP) has only two towns — Salvador and Munai — as "areas of concern" in the coming elections.

"We based our assessment on the history of violence of these towns every election, but these findings by the MILF and MNLF are new developments that should be carefully looked into," he said.

Meanwhile, the PNP has arrested a total of 76 persons for violating the gun ban in connection with this year's election.

Confiscated from these violators were 12 firearms, 148 ammunition and one unidentified deadly weapon, the PNP reported.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/02/21/news/regions/merge-high-risk-areas-in-lanao-del-norte/1833690