CAR villages under Comelec watchlist
THE COUNTRY’S Summer Capital remains to be the safest place in the country when it comes to with no record of election related violence.
Commission on Elections Baguio City Supervisor John Paul Martin hopes the city becomes the yard stick when it comes to the conduct of the May 14 Barangay and SK Elections.
"Baguio City has not recorded any election related violence ever since. That's the reason why there are no areas listed under the election watch list of the Philippine National Police and the Comelec," Martin said following the release of the Police Regional Office – Cordillera’s election watch list that includes 81 villages.
Last week, Martin presided the launching of the peace covenant signing to ensure the peaceful conduct of the May 14 polls.
"That is the reason why we conducted a peace covenant signing before the start of the campaign to ensure that no one among our candidates in Baguio City will participate in election irregularities. This is a commitment from them," Martin stressed.
Based on the election watchlist released by PRO - COR, Baguio having 59 precincts will be allotted 219 police and AFP personnel.
In the Province of Abra, the municipalities of Bangued, Bucay, Dolores, Lagayan, Lacub, Malibcong, Penarubia, Salapadan, Tineg and Tubo have 36 barangays under the election watchlist.
In Kalinga, the municipalities of Pinukpuk, Tinglayan, Balbalan, Pasil and Lubuagan have 25 barangays in the watchlist.
Some 20 barangays in Mountain Province are under the Comelec watch list coming from the municipalities of Bontoc, Bauko, Besao, Natonin, Paracelis, Sabangan, Sadanga, Sagada and Tadian.
At least 1,536 PROCor and AFP personnel will be deployed in the 5,124 polling centers in the region.
Bulk of the government troops will be deployed to Abra 1,025, Apayao with 672, Benguet with 756, Ifugao with 903, Kalinga with 905, and Mountain Province with 644.
"The second security command conference between the PNP, AFP DepEd and the electoral tribunal will be held today (May 8) to finalize the deployment and security plans for the May 14 elections, and the possible augmentation of security forces in areas in the region if needed," added Martin.