As campaign period starts today: 3 city barangays report harassments

CEBU, Philippines – As the campaign period for the barangay and SK elections officially starts today, the Cebu City Police Office has received reports of harassment from at least three barangays of Cebu City.

However, Deputy City Director for Operations of CCPO, Supt. Pablo Labra II, said they are not taking these complaints so seriously because the political rivalry of the opposing parties involved is that not intense.

Nevertheless, the police will intensify their checkpoints starting today for any eventualities that may rise in line with the elections.

"Andam na ang atong security plan. Ugma (today), mas subsob nga checkpoints ang atong ipahigayon sa mga kadalanan," Labra said yesterday.

He withheld the names of the three barangays, though he hinted that these are not from the mountain areas of the city where political rivalry has been a common scenario.

"Mga barangays na diri lang sa syudad," he said.

For the part of the Cebu Provincial Police Office, CPPO director Erson Digal said they will be conducting a command conference on Monday together with all the chiefs of police in the province, the Commission on Elections and the 78th Infantry Battalion.

Digal said they will determine the barangays where more policemen and soldiers will be deployed on the election day in anticipation of any politically related violence.

Right now, Digal said they are concentrating on Barangays Banban, Malingin and Kayang of Bogo town and Barangay Bateria of Daanbantayan. He clarified, though, that these are still potential hotspot areas and are yet to be deliberated by them on Monday if these will be included under Comelec watch list.

While the usual checkpoints are currently conducted in respective police stations, Digal has also instructed radio officers to monitor barangays that are hotly contested.

As a starting effort to preempt any political violence, Digal has instructed the chief of police in Bogo to have the contending parties of Barangay Banban sign a peace covenant.

Joel Sumabong, accused of murdering an anti-crime volunteer in the town in 2005, and Engineer Lito Uporto, has already agreed to sign the peace covenant to ensure a peaceful and orderly election in the barangay come October 25.

Barangays Malingin and Kayang, where strafing incidents were reported in the last May polls, are also being monitored by the police. (FREEMAN)