PA backing poll bets in 207 Ilocos barangays, says PNP

CAMP OSCAR FLORENDO, LA Union- The New People’s Army is backing several candidates in the Oct. 29 barangay and Sanguniang Kabataan elections in 207 remote villages in the Ilocos region..

Senior Supt. Noli Talino, regional police intelligence chief, bared this in a briefing here on Oct. 24 saying 192 barangays are NPA-threatened and 15 others, NPA-affected.

“The NPA will use these barangays (to gain) legitimate access to the internal revenue allotment (IRA) and make them as electoral base for party-list groups,” he said.

Once its candidates win, the NPA, according to Talino, would reject the deployment of military personnel in these barangays, preempt recruitment of civilian volunteers and provide safehouses to their comrades.

Talino said the NPA is expected to collect “permit to campaign” fees from candidates who would want to campaign in its strongholds.

Talino said 11 private armed groups” have been identified in the region in the provinces of Ilocos Sur and Norte, La Union and Pangasinan-which maybe used to harass and intimidate candidates in the barangay and SK polls.

Police intelligence reports reportedly prompted the police and the military to beef up their intelligence and security measures in these barangays to prevent the NPA rebels from harassing and intimidating voters and candidates.

“We are already initiating pro-active police and military intervention to prevent untoward incidents. We have several defense systems being undertaken for the identification and arrest of persons who will disrupt the elections,” Chief Supt. Leopoldo Bataoil, Ilocos police director said.

Bataoil said they are closely monitoring the situation in 116 barangays, which have been declared “areas of concern.”

Col. Loreto Rirao, commander of the Army’s 503rd Infantry Brigade in Ilocos Sur said he deployed troops to NPA-infested areas.

Meanwhile, in Pangasinan, San Carlos City and San Fabian town have been declared areas of immediate concern in the Oct. 29 polls due to previous election-related violent incidents.

But lawyer Reddy Balarbar, provincial election supervisor, said the declaration does not mean that both places would be placed under Comelec control, although additional policemen would be deployed there during the elections.

Balarbar recalled the gunslaying of San Carlos mayor Jolly Resuello at the height of the election campaign last May, and San Fabian lawyer Alejo Dojillo last August.

Upon the recommendation of Senior Supt. Isagani Nerez, provincial police director, Balarbar said the following barangays have been tagged as areas of concern: Bongalon, Carriedo and Samang Sur in Labrador, Tayug and Bolinao towns, respectively.

On Oct. 22, Mario Uson, a former chairman of Barangay Bongalon, was slain by the incumbent barangay head who went into hiding after the incident. Jaime Tolentino, a candidate for barangay captain in Carriedo, and Fely Anama and Freddie Ariola, who were running for kagawads (council members) in Samang Sur, were also killed.