29 AREAS IN CENTRAL VISAYAS ON ELECTION WATCH LIST

More policemen and soldiers will be sent to 29 Central Visayas towns and cities included in the government’s election watchlist due to these areas’ history of pollrelated incidents, a police official in the region said.

Of these, seven are in Cebu province: the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Danao, and the towns of Ronda, San Fernando and Tuburan.

Except for Tuburan, areas in Cebu were classified as “yellow,” meaning poll-related incidents and intense political rivalries were reported in these places in past elections, said Chief Supt. Debold Sinas, regional police director.

Tuburan, 91 kilometers northwest of Cebu City, was placed under “orange” classification due to armed threats, intense political rivalries and election-related violence.

Supporters of Tuburan Mayor Democrito Diamante and his brother, Vice Mayor Danilo Dia- mante, were ambushed by a group of armed men at Barangay Mag-atoy, Tuburan, five days before the elections in 2016.

An aide of Diamante was killed in that attack.

Mayor Diamente welcomed Tuburan’s inclusion in the watchlist, saying it would help maintain peace and order in the town.

“There were incidents of harassment during the past elections. There were people who harassed my men, and this might happen again in next year’s elections,” he said.

“We hope that incident would not happen again because I pity the family of the victims,” he added.

No place in the region was put under the “red” category, which had all factors attributed to areas under orange, including the proliferation of firearms.

Aside from the seven areas in Cebu, also included in the election watchlist are 10 areas in Negros Oriental province, six in Bohol province, and six in Siquijor province.

All areas in Negros Oriental, however, are under the orange category. These are the cities of Guihulngan, Bais, Siaton and Canlaon; and the towns of Ayungon, Mabinay, Tayasan, Santa Catalina, Zamboanguita, and Manjuyod.

Under the yellow category in Bohol are the towns of Buenavista, Clarin, Danao, and Pilar. Tubigon and Inabanga, also in Bohol, are under the orange category.

All areas in Siquijor are under the yellow category. These are the towns of Enrique Villanueva, Larena, Lazi, Maria, San Juan and Siquijor.

Sinas said the police were monitoring these areas to ensure that no violent incidents would happen in the run up to the elections.

“The categories could change anytime. We are constantly evaluating,” he said.