Army: Polls better now than in 2010

LUCENA CITY—The recent elections in Bicol and Southern Tagalog are more peaceful than that in 2010, the military said.

Citing military and police records, Lt. Col. Neil Anthony Estrella, of the Armed Forces Southern Luzon Command, said government authorities arrested 565 election gun ban violators from January until May 13 this year compared to only 110 arrests made in 2010.

The military and police also seized a total of 596 firearms, 32 grenades and 110 other types of explosives during the same period, he said.

Vigilance

Estrella attributed the significant improvement in peace and order to the vigilance of government troops.

He said there was also a decrease in election-related cases of violence—from 56 in 2010 to 27 in the recent elections.

He said the elections have been spared from attacks by communist guerrillas because the guerrillas themselves took part in the voting.

Guerrillas, he said, were monitored in urban areas and other places, where they enjoy support, taking part in campaigns.

Intel reports

Estrella said the military has been receiving intelligence reports that the communist guerrillas campaigned for their favored candidates although he did not identify the candidates.

“It only showed that the NPA (New People’s Army) is now participating in our democratic processes,” he said.

He said he wished that, next time, “the NPA rebels themselves will run for elective offices for the sake of peace.”