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57 municipalities under
COMELEC watchlist in Eastern Visayas
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
May
11, 2007
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte –
Philippine National Police 8 Regional Director Eliseo dela Paz and Commission
on Elections 8 Assistant Regional Director Jose Nick Mendros revealed that there
are 57 municipalities in Region 8 which are now being closely monitored in
connection with the forthcoming synchronized national and local elections on May
14.
Both General dela Paz and ARD
Mendros were guests during the Panindugan television program of PIA Thursday,
the episode of which was Election Issues.
General dela Paz said there is
a difference between areas placed under COMELEC control, areas of immediate
concern and areas of concern.
ARD Mendros said that when a
certain area like the
province
of Abra is declared by COMELEC en banc to be under COMELEC control, the COMELEC
takes over the civilian government and all the transactions and management is
place under COMELEC. Before an area is place under COMELEC control, there are
certain requirements which must be present in the area like the presence of
armed groups, lawlessness and a history of election violence in the past
elections.
An immediate area of concern
is short of being under COMELEC control, Director Mendros said. An area of
concern means there are certain happenings which makes the area under the
watchlist.
There is no area in the Region
which is under COMELEC control, the guests said.
Director Mendros said that it
is the Philippine National Police which recommends a certain place to be under
the watchlist because of some existing conditions.
General dela Paz said that
there are 17 election areas of immediate concern in the Region, five in Samar,
six in Northern Samar, two in Eastern Samar and four in Leyte. The specific
areas are Daram, Calbayog City, Gandara, San Jorge and Tagapul-an, all in Samar;
Lavazares, Bobon, Lope de Vega, Mapanas, San Isidro and Silvino Lobos in
Northern Samar; Oras and Sulat in Eastern Samar; and Ormoc City, Jaro, Albuera
and Kanaga in the province of Leyte.
The 40 election areas of
concern in Region 8 are 15 municipalities, Catbalogan, Paranas, Matuguinao,
Pinabacdao, Hinabangan, Marabut, Motiong, Jiabong, San Jose de Buan, Calbiga,
San Sebastian, Basey, Sta. Rita, Villareal and Zumarraga in the
province of
Samar.
There are 8 municipalities in the
province of
Northern Samar
which are election areas of concern, namely, San Roque, Catarman, Catubig, Gamay,
Lapinig, Victoria, Pambujan and Las Navas.
In the province of Eastern
Samar, 8 municipalities are included in the election watchlist. These are the
municipalities Borongan, Jipapad, San Policarpo, Taft, Quinapondan, General
MacArthur and Llorente.
The province of Leyte has 8
municipalities which are areas of concern and these are the municipalities of
Mayorga, Merida, Palompon, San Isidro, Abuyog, Hindang, Dagami and Leyte town.
The municipality of
Hinunangan and the City of Maasin in the province of Southern Leyte are included
in the election area of concern.
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