Add'l cops, soldiers deployed in hotly-contested areas
The Commission on Elections has ordered the deployment of more than 500 policemen and soldiers to towns and city in Iloilo province due to rising tension between rival politicians and the presence of communist rebels.
The 300 policemen and 296 soldiers will augment the existing police force in the province's 42 towns and Passi City, said lawyer Elizabeth Doronila, Comelec provincial director.
Doronila said no area in Iloilo needs to be put under Comelec control and stressed that the additional policemen and soldiers are being deployed as a preventive measure against possible violence from contending political camps.
The Comelec and PNP are closely monitoring Passi City and the towns of Estancia, Lambunao, Igbaras and Ajuy because of rising tension between supporters of rival candidates, said Doronila.
The biggest deployment of policemen will be in Estancia with 30 where supporters of reelectionist Mayor Rene Cordero and Restituto Mosqueda have previously clashed. The other areas with significant deployment of additional policemen are Passi City (25) and 21 in both Concepcion and San Joaquin towns.
The Comelec has also asked the Armed Forces of the Philippines to send an additional 63 soldiers to Igbaras, 52 in Ajuy and 50 in Calinog
The PNP and Comelec has identified 79 towns and cities in the region in Western Visayas as election areas of concern, mostly because of intense political rivalry and the active presence of communist rebels.
These are classified into 24 election areas of concern (EAC) and 55 election areas of immediate concern (EAIC).
A locality is considered an EAC if it has a history of election-related violence, presence of rebels or the existence of intense political rivalry. The category of a locality is raised to an "area of immediate concern" if the two conditions are present.
Negros Occidental had the most number of areas under the watch list with 25 EAICs. These include Bago City, Cadiz City, Calatrava, Candoni, Cauayan, EB Magalona, Hinoba-an, Ilog, Kabankalan City, Manapla, Moises Padilla, Murcia, Sagay City, Silay City, Sipalay City, Talisay City, Victorias City, Escalante City, Himamaylan, La Castellana, La Carlota City, Pontevedra, Hinigaran, Don Salvardor Benedicto and Pulupupandan.
This was followed by Iloilo province with 23 including Anilao, Balasan, Dingle, Dumangas, Lemery, Pavia, San Dionisio, San Enrique, Sta. Barbara, Leganes, Dueñas, Maasin and Estancia (EACs); and Alimodian, Bingawan, Calinog, Guimbal, Igbaras, Lambunao, Leon, Miag-ao, San Joaquin, Tubungan (EAICs)
In Capiz, 23 areas are on the watch list including Roxas City (EAC) and the towns of Pilar, Cuartero, Dumalag, Ivisan, Jamindan, Maayon, Mambusao, Sapi-an, Sigma, Tapaz and Dumarao (EAICs)
Antique has 10 towns being monitored including Caluya, Laua-an, Patnongon, Valderrama, Culasi and Bugasong (EACs); and Hamtic, San Remigio, Sibalom and Sebaste (EAICs).
Aklan has six areas under the watch list including New Washington (EAC) and the towns of Altavas, Balete, Libacao, Madalag and Malinao (EAICs).
The towns of San Lorenzo and Buenavista and the island-province of Guimaras have been categorized as EACs and also the City Proper District in Iloilo City.