MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) predicted that the August elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will not be as violent as in the past, in the absence of "intense political rivalry."

Chief Superintendent Joel Goltiao, ARMM police director, said the list of hot spots or areas of concern in the upcoming elections is being drawn out.

In the last ARMM elections in 2005, 1,334 villages were identified as "areas of concern," and 468 villages "areas of immediate concern."

"But at the moment, we have to update this data because we perceive that the next election is not as violent as [in] previous elections," Goltiao said at a news conference in Camp Aguinaldo, following a command conference with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the military and police leadership in Camp Aguinaldo.

"One of the parameters we always consider [in predicting] election-related violent incidents is the intense political rivalry. This time, we do not foresee any intense political rivalry," he said.

Among those present during the command conference were Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Lieutenant General Alexander Yano, AFP deputy chief of staff Lieutenant General Rodrigo Maclang, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., and Comelec chairman Jose Melo.

The meeting was held on the first day of filing of certificates of candidacy for the ARMM polls, said election commissioner Moslemen Macarambon.