82 Cordillera sites listed in Oct. 25 poll watch list

By Dexter A. See

CAMP DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet – Security has been tightened in 82 barangays in the Cordillera declared as election watch list areas by the Regional Joint Security Coordinating Council.

The RJSCC, which determined election hot spots in Cordillera during national elections last May 10, was reactivated for synchronized barangay and sangguniang kabataan elections on Oct. 25.

It is composed of representatives from the Commission on Elections, Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The RJSCC said areas under the election watch-list include barangays in the provinces of Abra, Mountain Province, Ifugao and Kalinga which were known as conflict areas the past elections.

Abra ranked first among provinces in Cordillera with a long history of election-related violence and accounted for 33 barangays placed under the election watch list for the coming polls.

The RJSCC said security has been increased in these barangays to ensure honest, orderly and peaceful elections despite intense political rivalry and the presence of private armed groups in the area.

Mountain Province ranked second with 20 barangays in the watch list, followed by Kalinga with 18, and Ifugao with 13.

Some of the barangays in the watch list were described by the RJSCC as influenced by insurgents, thus, the need to deploy additional troops.

None of barangays in Baguio City, Benguet and Apayao were included in the watch list because no intense political rivalry had been recorded there in electoral exercises.