Abalos: Prepare for poll violence

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Benjamin Abalos warned yesterday of violence after the May 10 polls when people start questioning the outcome of the voting.

"What I am worried about is peace and order not only during the elections, but in the post-election," he said in an interview with The STAR.

Abalos said "certain quarters" have conditioned the minds of the public to doubt whatever results come of the elections.

"It would be good if it would just be a peaceful protest," he said. "I told the military to be prepared."

Under the law, the military and the police become deputized agencies of the Comelec during the election period.

Earlier, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said 117 people have been killed and 124 wounded in 59 election-related violence nationwide since the start of the campaign period.

Chief Superintendent Joel Goltiao, PNP spokesman, said of those killed, 55 were political supporters and 62 suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels.

Goltiao said 65 others have been arrested in 187 violent incidents across the country since the campaign period started on Feb. 10.

The NPA remains a serious threat to the peaceful holding of national and local elections on May 10, he added.

On the other hand, PNP chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. said police have arrested 1,306 violators of the gun ban imposed by the Comelec at the start of the election period.

Speaking at the two-day PNP command conference here, Ebdane said police have also seized 1,048 firearms, explosives and other deadly weapons from them.

Ebdane said he discussed specific election problems and security preparations with Abalos during the conference.

The conference focused on special security arrangements to thwart any possible outbreak of violence in the remaining days of the election period and during the nationwide canvassing of votes, he added.

Ebdane cautioned candidates, particularly those in the countryside, against paying so-called revolutionary taxes to the NPA.

During the conference, the National Directorate for Security and Intelligence presented the National Peace and Order situation and the status of the remaining partisan armed groups.

It also validated the list of "election areas of concern."

The PNP has identified 531 cities and municipalities listed as "election areas of concern," and classified 19 localities as "election areas of immediate concern." –Jose Aravilla