16 towns in Davao region tagged as election hot spots
Lungsod ng Dabaw | INQUIRER.net
DAVAO CITY — The police in the Davao region have heightened security watch over 16 towns in relation to the elections on May 9.
Police Maj. Eudisan Gultiano, spokesperson of the Davao regional police office, said eight of the towns were identified as areas of concern due to a history of heated rivalry among competing politicians, while the other eight were being monitored due to the presence of the communist New People’s Army (NPA).
The towns found to have intense political rivalry were Sta. Cruz, Matanao, Magsaysay, Malalag, Hagonoy and Padada in Davao del Sur; New Corella in Davao del Norte; and Monkayo in Davao de Oro, but these are placed under the yellow category, meaning the risk of violence is mild.
Still peaceful
Monitored for NPA presence and placed under the orange category were the towns of Mabini, Maco, Maragusan, Montevista, New Bataan and Pantukan in Davao de Oro; Lupon, Davao Oriental; and Kiblawan, Davao del Sur, he said.So far, no municipality in the region is placed under the red category, where the threat of violence due to intense political rivalry is compounded by the presence of armed groups.
The police forces in the region have not received any report of untoward incidents relating to the elections, he said.
Gultiano also revealed that some 60 politicians had requested protective security from the police but clarified that approval would only come from Police Gen. Dionardo Carlos, the chief of the Philippine National Police.
At the start of the campaign, police officers who were deployed to secure politicians were recalled. But politicians who felt they have threats to their lives were allowed to request for police escorts, he added.
Gultiano assured the public that the leadership of Police Brig. Gen. Benjamin Silo Jr., Davao regional police director, has ensured that the region’s police would “embody the spirit of nonpartisanship.”
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