BALER, Aurora -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) in Aurora has identified 32 barangays in the province as election watchlist areas in relation to the barangay and Sangguning Kabataan elections (BSKE) on Monday.
Senior Supt. Jonas Amparo, the director of the Aurora Police Provincial Police Office, on Saturday said authorities will closely monitor the identified barangays and will employ maximum security during the election period.
Amparo said they have considered new parameters in identifying areas to be placed on the election watchlist. and these include intense political rivalry, presence of armed groups, activities of criminal gangs, proliferation of loose firearms, and activities of threat groups.
“These 32 election watchlist areas were based on the parameters (and the) periodic situation report validated by the Aurora PNP (Philippine National Police) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), particularly the Army’s 91st Infantry “Sinagtala” Battalion wherein there are also three categories which specify the level of concern…,” he said.
Amparo explained that category 1 refers to areas where there are history of/or have current intense rivalry among the contending parties.
On the other hand, category 2 refers to areas with monitored serious armed threats posed by the New People’s Army (NPA), he said.
“Aurora falls under this category,” he noted.
Category 3, meanwhile, has all the critical factors, including the proliferation of firearms described under category 1 and 2.
In Aurora province, Amparo said there was no private army being monitored except for NPA rebels sighted. However, the rebels are considered as non violent and just passed by the province, especially in Maria Aurora town.
So far, the police provincial director said that there were no election-related incidents, nor intense political rivalries in the province.
“We identified some remote areas that needed attention like the problems in transportation of Comelec accountable forms, electricity and signal.
The Philippine Army will augment us with more than one squad (of personnel) in the said areas of concern. We are prepared,” he added.
Amparo specifically identified the following election areas of concern in the province: Baler (2); Casiguran (4); Dilasag (1); Dinalungan (2); Dingalan (2); Dipaculao (3); Maria Aurora (11), and San Luis (7).
He added that a series of meetings and workshops were conducted by the Provincial Joint Security Control Center - attended by Comelec, police and military officials.
The PJSCC had already submitted the preparations it made to the Regional Joint Security Control Center.
“We are ready for our deployment plan for the BSKE May 14 elections. We cannot reveal the security and deployment plan for security reasons,”
Amparo said, adding that there are some 294 police personnel who will be deployed to ensure peaceful, honest and credible elections.
In Central Luzon, there are 504 barangays under the election watchlist. (PNA)
