Cops keep close eye on 9 Kidapawan villages for polls

KIDAPAWAN CITY – The police is monitoring nine villages here as areas of concern for the upcoming May 14 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls.

“Areas of concern means violence is likely to occur in these villages,” Supt. Ramel Hojilla, Kidapawan City police director, said.

He said part of the police preparation for the coming May 14 elections is to ensure voters can vote without intimidation or harassment from election stakeholders.

“We continue to conduct validation and assessment on a daily basis with the help of the military,” Hojilla said of the nine villages, where the presence of communist New Peoples’ Army (NPA) has been noted since the last election.

These areas, Hojilla said, are still considered areas of concern and if the peace and order situation worsens “we may place the villages under areas of immediate concern.”

He declined to name the nine villages that remain under the “police’ radar.”

Lawyer Duque Kadatuan, North Cotabato election supervisor, said the final list of candidates for village and youth elections has yet to be determined since the certificates of candidacy (COC) have been forwarded to 

Manila Comelec office for further verification and confirmation.

Once these COCs are returned to the province, it will only be then that the final list of candidates will be 

known, Kadatuan said in a radio interview Tuesday.

Earlier, the Army’s 19th Infantry Battalion has said that the NPAs in North Cotabato have started demanding for campaign fee as part of its fundraising drive.

Hojilla also said that all candidates in the city’s 40 villages have vowed not to use violence before, during and after elections.

He also appealed to candidates not to give anything to the NPAs.

The candidates who filed their COCs, numbering to 1,244 for various elective positions, signed a peace covenant they will abide by the laws on election and would not resort to violence.

Of the total number, 790 are seeking elective posts in the barangays while 454 are seeking posts in the SK council.

During the pact signing, the city Comelec chief reminded the candidates that the campaign period will start on May 4 yet until May 12.

The peace covenant includes candidates’ readiness to accept defeat and that they will help for peaceful and orderly elections. (PNA/By Edwin Fernandez)