Nearly entire Davao del Sur on election watchlist

DIGOS CITY — Police have placed all, except one, of the towns and a city of Davao del Sur province on an election watchlist because of the presence of private armed groups and a history of political bloodshed there.

Senior Supt. Alan Manibog, Davao del Sur police director, said towns had been listed according to the level of violence anticipated in the coming elections in those areas.

Towns in Category 1 are those with records of political killings and violence in the past — Hagonoy, Malalag and Padada.

Categories

The towns of Magsaysay, Kiblawan and Matanao were listed under Category 2, which meant these were areas where the New People’s Army rebels were active.

Towns in Category 3 were defined as areas where conditions in Category 1 and 2 existed — Bansalan, Sta. Cruz and Digos City.

Manibog said the provincial police would strengthen security measures and closely watch the elections in these areas.

Towns listed as Category 4 on the watchlist would be placed under control of the Commission on Elections, said the police chief.

He said these areas were those where bloodshed had marked previous elections and private armed groups operated. —Orlando B. Dinoy