93 barangays are " hot spots" in Northeastern Mindanao
Published May 1, 2018 10:51 am
By Mike Crismundo
BUTUAN CITY – Ninety three barangays (villages) are considered as “hot spots” or “areas of concern” in Northeastern Mindanao or Caraga region, in relation to the Barangay, Sangguniang Kabataan elections come May 14, 2018.
Map of Caraga (Credits: Google Map | Manila Bulletin file photo)
Caraga region has 1, 311 barangays, in the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur and Dinagat Islands, and the cities of Surigao, Tandag, Bislig, Bayugan, Cabadbaran and the region’s frontier and capital city of Butuan.
The “areas of concern” came out after a joint evaluation was made by the Northeastern Mindanao Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) and the Army’s Northeastern and Northern Mindanao 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division (4th ID) last week.
The list has been forwarded to Regional Director Atty. Francisco Pobe of the Commission on Election (Comelec).
This “hot spot” or “areas of concern” are classified “Category 2” either because of the threats posed by the Communist New People’s Army Terrorists (CNTs) or because of intense political rivalries.
It was gathered that it’s up to the Comelec to decide on whether or not to include these barangays in its election watch-list or turn these villages into Comelec-controlled areas.
Combat maneuvering Brigade and Battallions of the 4th ID’s 401st Infantry Brigade, 402nd Brigade, 403rd Brigade and its operation control (Opcon) units are continuously conducting barangay clearing operations to assist the police in maintaining peace and order.
Regional Army spokesperson of the 4th ID Lt. Tere Ingente said with the ground troops conducting continuous barangay clearing operations, field unit commanders are expecting the number of barangays in the list to decline.
She said Maj. Gen. Ronald C. Villanueva, commanding general of the 4th ID’s Northeastern and Northern Mindanao areas of jurisdictions assured that the full force of the Army’s 401st, 402nd and 403rd Brigades would help the police in carrying out security operations in the provinces of Agusan, Surigao, Dinagat, Misamis, Bukidnon and Camiguin.
The command group of PRO 13 based at Camp Colonel Rafael C. Rodriguez here also assured that no police officer or personnel, including non-uniformed personnel would be involved in partisan politics.
The command and monitoring center of PRO 13 already recorded a total of two violators since the implementation of gun ban on April 14, 2018.
There are 1, 619, 179 total registered voters in the five provinces and six cities in Northeastern Mindanao or Caraga region, while there are 658, 852 current SK voters throughout the region.
In a related development, the regional command of PRO 13 is mobilizing some 4,000 policemen for a peaceful mid-term local election in the five provinces and six cities in Caraga region.
Of these number of policemen being utilized by the PRO 13, at least 2,600 of them will be placed in the 1, 333 voting centers while the remaining 1,400 will be action forces at different mobile units spread all over the region, it was gathered.
Map of Caraga (Credits: Google Map | Manila Bulletin file photo)
Caraga region has 1, 311 barangays, in the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur and Dinagat Islands, and the cities of Surigao, Tandag, Bislig, Bayugan, Cabadbaran and the region’s frontier and capital city of Butuan.
The “areas of concern” came out after a joint evaluation was made by the Northeastern Mindanao Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) and the Army’s Northeastern and Northern Mindanao 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division (4th ID) last week.
The list has been forwarded to Regional Director Atty. Francisco Pobe of the Commission on Election (Comelec).
This “hot spot” or “areas of concern” are classified “Category 2” either because of the threats posed by the Communist New People’s Army Terrorists (CNTs) or because of intense political rivalries.
It was gathered that it’s up to the Comelec to decide on whether or not to include these barangays in its election watch-list or turn these villages into Comelec-controlled areas.
Combat maneuvering Brigade and Battallions of the 4th ID’s 401st Infantry Brigade, 402nd Brigade, 403rd Brigade and its operation control (Opcon) units are continuously conducting barangay clearing operations to assist the police in maintaining peace and order.
Regional Army spokesperson of the 4th ID Lt. Tere Ingente said with the ground troops conducting continuous barangay clearing operations, field unit commanders are expecting the number of barangays in the list to decline.
She said Maj. Gen. Ronald C. Villanueva, commanding general of the 4th ID’s Northeastern and Northern Mindanao areas of jurisdictions assured that the full force of the Army’s 401st, 402nd and 403rd Brigades would help the police in carrying out security operations in the provinces of Agusan, Surigao, Dinagat, Misamis, Bukidnon and Camiguin.
The command group of PRO 13 based at Camp Colonel Rafael C. Rodriguez here also assured that no police officer or personnel, including non-uniformed personnel would be involved in partisan politics.
The command and monitoring center of PRO 13 already recorded a total of two violators since the implementation of gun ban on April 14, 2018.
There are 1, 619, 179 total registered voters in the five provinces and six cities in Northeastern Mindanao or Caraga region, while there are 658, 852 current SK voters throughout the region.
In a related development, the regional command of PRO 13 is mobilizing some 4,000 policemen for a peaceful mid-term local election in the five provinces and six cities in Caraga region.
Of these number of policemen being utilized by the PRO 13, at least 2,600 of them will be placed in the 1, 333 voting centers while the remaining 1,400 will be action forces at different mobile units spread all over the region, it was gathered.