BATANGAS – One city and four towns have been listed as hot spots in Batangas province following poll-related incidents in the 2004 and 2007 elections, a police official said Thursday.

Batangas Police Director Senior Supt. Alberto Supapo of Batangas Police Provincial Office (BPPO) said that Batangas City was included among the three cities in the province and four towns - Ibaan,San Pascual,Sto.Tomas and Taysan – in the watch list.

In the 2007 elections, one of the buildings of Pinagbayanan Elementary School in Taysan was burned by unidentified armed men, killing a public school teacher,Merly Banaag and watcher Leticia Ramos.

Supapo cited six major entry/exit checkpoints in the province that are being closely monitored in the towns of Nasugbu, Sto.Tomas, Padre Garcia, Lipa City, San Juan and Talisay-Tagaytay Road.

“We classify election watch list in categories. The election-related incidents that transpired in 2004 and 2007 fell under category one. Under category two are areas perpetrated by communist or terrorist groups or if a city or municipality has an active terrorist movement or activity,” Supapo said.

Batangas province has a total of 10,774 established and clustered precincts with 1,363,948 registered voters.