width=
- Advertisement -

By LITO RULONA
Correspondent

CAMP Alagar yesterday identified Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon as Region 10’s election hotspots.

- Advertisement -

Two other provinces in Region 10––Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental––are seen as having the potentials of being declared as hotspots or as the National Police puts it, “areas of immediate concern.”

Chief Supt. Lyndel Desquitado, police regional director, said Bukidnon and the eastern part of Misamis Oriental, including Gingoog City and Claveria town, have been declared as “areas of immediate concern” because the New People’s Army (NPA) is active in these places.

“Kung asa dapit ang boundary sa uban nga region mao usab kini ang dagan-daganan sa mga rebelde,” Desquitado said. In 2013, Misamis Oriental became an election hotspot after communist rebels ambushed and badly hurt the then Gingoog mayor Ruth Guingona.

Police said intense political rivalry and presence of armed groups are the reasons for considering Misamis Oriental as an area of immediate concern.

Desquitado said Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental are also provinces that have the potentials of being classified as “areas of immediate concern” because of loose firearms.

He said Camp Alagar has been coordinating with the Army’s 4th Infantry Division because of a plan to deploy more troops to these provinces months prior to the 2016 election period.

Camp Alagar, according to Desquitado, would field members of the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB). He said the officers would have an experience of five years or more in the election hotspots.

“We have an appropriate force to cover all areas in the region,” he said.

He said the police has also started coordinating with the Commission on Elections (Comelec), and would have a series of meetings after the filing of certificates of candidacy.

Various Comelec offices would also be secured by the police next week, he said. He said the officers would be required to submit a report about the “political climate” which would be used in assessing areas.

Disclaimer

Mindanao Gold Star Daily holds the copyrights of all articles and photos in perpetuity. Any unauthorized reproduction in any platform, electronic and hardcopy, shall be liable for copyright infringement under the Intellectual Property Rights Law of the Philippines.

- Advertisement -