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GENERAL SANTOS CITY: Police authorities are closely
watching several villages in at least nine towns in Central Mindanao
for possible escalation of violence in the run-up to the October 29
Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
Chief Supt. Felizardo Serapio,
Region 12 police chief, said the barangays listed as areas of
concern during the elections are within at least three towns in
Cotabato province, two in South Cotabato, two in Sarangani and one
in Sultan Kudarat.
“These areas have histories of
election violence because of the presence of armed groups or due to
intense political rivalries,” he said.
Serapio said the identified areas
of concern are in Banisilan, Tulunan, Pikit and Carmen in Cotabato;
Tampakan and T’boli in South Cotabato; Malungon and Alabel in
Sarangani; and, Palimbang in Sultan Kudarat.
Serapio said the four Cotabato
towns were also cited for past election-related violence and the
presence of armed groups while the two Sarangani towns were listed
as areas of concern due to the presence of communist rebels in the
area.
For South Cotabato, he said
T’boli and Tampakan had incidents of political violence and noted
presence of communist rebels and bandit groups.
But Serapio clarified that the
listed areas of concern are not the entire areas in these
municipalities but just selected villages.
“Our list of these areas of
concern has actually diminished after the last May elections wherein
we landed as the region with the second least election-related
incidents,” he said.
Under Resolution 7892 issued by
the Commission on Elections before the May 14 national and local
elections, at least 18 municipalities were listed as areas of
immediate concern or hotspots.
The list includes the
municipalities of Aleosan, Banisilan, Kabacan, Midsayap, Pigcawayan,
Pikit, Antipas, Arakan, Magpet, Makilala, Matalam, Mlang, Pres.
Roxas, Tulunan in North Cotabato; Columbio in Sultan Kudarat; Pula
Bato, Danlag, Tablu and Albangan villages in Tampakan South Cotabato;
Sapu Masla, Malapatan and Malabod, Malungon in Sarangani.
Serapio said he has already
directed all police units in the region to increase their presence
in the identified critical areas and closely watch several warring
political factions.
--PNA
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