By LITO RULONA, Correspondent CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The Commission on Election (Comelec) is closely monitoring the situation in Pantar town, Lanao del Norte, because of the high probability of electionelated violence in the municipality. The Commission considers Pantar  as one of the election hotspots in Region 10. Comelec regional director Renato Magbutay said he has asked a security group from Camp Alagar to augment security forces especially near the Comelec office in Lanao del Norte. “Kinahanglan ma-secure ang opisina sa Comelec hasta ang mga kandidato nga moadto aron mo-file sa ilang certificates of candidacy,” he said. Magbutay said the Comelec said special attention is being given to Pantar because of governance problems in the town, and because of armed groups. Magbutay said there are two political groups with “private armies” that have been clashing in the Lanao del Norte town, and the peace and order situation there was problematic. Magbutay called on leaders of the armed groups in Pantar to abide the rule of law. A long-standing political rift was blamed for the ambush of Army troopers in Pantar town, Lanao del Norte last month. Juanito Enriquez,  managing director of the Civil Society Organization Forum for Peace, said the ambush was triggered by the rivalry between former Pantar mayor Mohammad Exchan Limbona and Mangondaya Tago, the vice mayor who succeeded him in May 2014. The rift worsened after the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) dismissed Limbo-na in May last year in connection with the killing of former vice mayor Hadji Rashid Onos. This paper, reported that on May 6, 2014 that the DILG ordered the installation of Tago as mayor replacing Limbona. Limbona was also meted the punishment of cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits and perpetual disqualification for reemployment in the government by the Office of the Ombudsman, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court. Limbona was convicted in connection with the July 3, 2007 killing of Onos by a group that, authorities said, included Limbona, then a barangay chair. “We have no problem with other municipalities [in Lanao del Norte], only in the area of Pantar,” he said.