Calabarzon PNP names 28 ‘areas of concern’

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna—The police in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) have identified 28 out of 4,011 villages in the region as election hotspots and placed them under a tight security watch in connection with the barangay (village) elections on Oct. 28.

The villages were identified as election “areas of concern” according to Philippine National Police parameters, such as record of election-related incidents in the area in the last two elections.

“Incidents [do] not necessarily mean killings. They could also mean harassment or politically motivated violence against village officials,” said Chief Supt. Edwin Erni, deputy regional director for administration of the Calabarzon police, in a phone interview on Sunday.

In the list provided by Chief Supt. Jesus Gatchalian, the regional police director, 13 of the villages were in Batangas province, namely, Tabangao Aplaya and Ambulong (Batangas City); San Pedro (Sto. Tomas); District IV (Balayan); Mabini (Agoncilo); Coral ni Lopez and Taklang Anak (Calaca); Hukay, Sambungan and Talibayog (Calatagan); San Andres (Malvar); and Kalayo and Natipuan (Nasugbu).

In Cavite, the election hotspots were Kanluran and Tejeros Convention (Rosario); Sabang and Fatima 1 (Dasmariñas City); and Pasong Kawayan (General Trias).

In Rizal, the police were closely monitoring Burgos (Rodriguez) and Mayamot (Antipolo City); and in Quezon, Malabanban Sur (Candelaria).

The police would also give “more attention” to seven villages in Laguna. These were San Crispin (San Pablo City); Sampaloc (Pagsanjan); Don Jose (Sta. Rosa City); San Antonio and Longos (Kalayaan); and Barangay VI and Real (Calamba City).

Mamplasan in Biñan City, however, was not included in the list even after the Sept. 22 shooting at the barangay hall that left three village officials dead and one wounded.

“We had not validated that it was election-related,” Erni said, adding that “not because a victim was a barangay official meant it was politically motivated as it could have also been driven by personal grudges.”

Mamplasan village captain Rommel Dicdican, in an earlier interview, believed he was the target of the attack but he refused to say if it had anything to do with his plan to seek reelection.

Gatchalian said police checkpoints were in place in various key locations in Calabarzon since the start of the election gun ban.

He also said the police would meet with representatives of the Commission on Elections next week to firm up its election security plan in the region.