300 villages in E. Visayas tagged ‘areas of concern’

TACLOBAN CITY—Close to 300 villaged in Eastern Visayas have been identified by the police as “areas of concern” for the forthcoming barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.

The areas of concern refer to those where possible violence could occur, according to the police.

Inspector Romuel Nacar, media officer of the Philippine National Police Eastern Visayas (PNP-8) headquarters, said the police identified 292 villages as areas of concern based on violent incidents that happened in the past barangay elections.

Nacar added  they also listed 70 other villages as having potential for violence due to the presence of the New People’s Army (NPA).

The areas of concern include 125 of 569 villages in Northern Samar; 32 out the 1,393 villages in Leyte; 90 of the 951 villages in Samar, and 45 of the 597 villages in Eastern Samar.

NPA presence

On the other hand, the villages that have the presence of the NPA are located in Samar (36), Northern Samar (20), Eastern Samar (8) and Leyte (6).

No barangay in Southern Leyte and Biliran provinces was identified as area of concern for the barangay and SK elections.

Chief Supt. Elmer Soria, PNP-8 director, said they had prepared contingency plans to prevent violence from occurring in the villages identified as areas of concern and those with the presence of the NPA.

Soria, however, said they would give special attention to Northern Samar, which has the most number of villages where violence might occur.

“Based on  our intelligence, evaluation and assessment, we will send the special task group to Northern Samar because there are more villages there considered areas of concern,” he said.

Soria said he had created a special task force headed by Senior Supt. Teodoro Basa to ensure a peaceful conduct of barangay and SK polls in the province. The troops that will be deployed to the province will come from the Regional Public Safety Battalion.