CEBU CITY -- The Cebu Provincial Police Office (CCPO) will recommend the inclusion of six barangays in Tuburan, Cebu to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) watch list for the May 14 polls.
CPPO Director Sr. Supt. Edgar Alan Okubo on Saturday said the six barangays in Tuburan to be placed under Category 1 of the elections watch list or hotspots are Putat, Carmelo, Mag-atubang, Sumon, Monte Alegre, and Gaang.
Aside from the history of election-related violence and the intense political rivalry among candidates in the six barangays, the presence of armed groups has also been reported in these areas, Okubo said in a press conference.
“We have intelligence reports and sightings of the arrival of private armed groups and CPP-NPA (Communist Part of the Philippines-New People’s Army) rebels in these areas,” Okubo said. “This is enough justification that we place the six barangays to Category 1.”
Due to these intelligence reports and sightings, Okubo said the CPPO coordinated with Armed Forces of the Philippines - Central Command (AFP-Centcom).
Okubo said the Centcom has assured him that Quick Reaction Forces will be concentrated in these areas for the whole duration of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.
Meanwhile, Okubo said the campaign period, which entered its second day Saturday, remained peaceful in the entire province.
Except for a gun ban violator in Lilo-an, Cebu, no untoward election-related incident was reported from any city or municipality in Cebu Province, said the CPPO director.
“It’s a good start. And that’s what we’re aiming for -- to sustain the peace until the elections are over,” Okubo said. (PNA)
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