Biñas swears Naga will be peaceful on election day

CEBU, Philippines - Despite being placed under the election watch-list of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) for the coming elections, Supt. Henry Biñas has assured that Naga City, situated in the southern part of Cebu, will remain peaceful on or before the May 10 polls.

Biñas explained that placing an area under the watch-list does not necessarily mean that it is prone to violence, rather it means it is giving the area additional protection and security to ensure that the feared election-related incidents will be avoided.

Biñas has just been transferred to the Naga City Police Station as part of CPPO's minor reshuffling of three police chiefs.

His post in Talisay City is temporarily taken over by Supt. Elmer Lim of Danao City Police Station.

Naga City has been included in the watch-list after a raid conducted very recently by elements from the Regional Intelligence Division 7 and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group -7 at the house of barangay chairman Federico Cabizares in Cabungahan of the city.

The raid yielded several unlicensed firearms and ammunition. Cabizares is reportedly a supporter of Chiong, a mayoralty candidate running under the Alayon-Nacionalista Party.

Chiong, for his part, had earlier expressed his opposition to putting his city under the watch-list, saying there was no need, considering that all candidates--there are four mayoralty bets including himself--running for public posts have never been linked to violence especially during elections. And besides, records show except for that 2001 incident where a policeman was killed at the height of the political campaign for the year's local polls, there was no other election-related violence that ensued in the coming years, he added.

Chiong said putting Naga in the watch-list would only taint its name, that it is not capable of following laws on peace and order.

All areas considered hotspots will be sent an augmentation force two or three days before the elections, said Biñas. He may consider Naga peaceful within the next days leading to election day, the additional police force will still "greatly" help them in maintaining peace and order in the area.