SEVEN cities and 39 municipalities, most of them in Mindanao, are being monitored by the Armed Forces for election-related violent incidents.
AFP spokesman Col. Ramon Zagala said the military, in coordination with the Commission on Elections and the PNP, are on the lookout in these areas due to threats posed by the New People’s Army (NPA), terrorist groups and private armed groups (PAGs).
Zagala said these areas were identified during a meeting of the Comelec-AFP-PNP Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Concerns last February 8.
“We have identified seven cities and 39 towns with threats, mixed threats,” Zagala said. He refused to identify the areas but “majority are in Mindanao, some are in Luzon and Visayas.”
He said the military has ordered its unified area commands “to give an assessment and give the necessary actions to prevent possible incidents of violence.
“Rest assured that we have forces dedicated for the elections,” Zagala said.
Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said like in past elections, additional security forces will be deployed to elections hotspots.
Año said the augmentation forces are meant to preempt candidates from resorting to violence and intimidation to influence the results of the elections.
Zagala said the NPA is the biggest threat to the polls. Citing military estimates, he said the NPA has about 3,000 NPA fighters throughout the country organized into 51 guerilla fronts.
“The real threat is the communist terrorist group,” Zagala said, adding some candidates have received demands from NPA that they will not be allowed to campaign in areas unless they paid up.
In the past, candidates who failed to pay were subjected to harassments or attacks.
“Some reported to us and right away (we) provided them (security) assistance. We can’t prevent the communist terrorists from taking advantage (of the elections),” Zagala said. He appealed to candidates who have received similar demands from to report it to authorities, noting that “we are here to help you.”
Año said “we are not going to allow these terrorists to collect money from the candidates.”
