Arroyo to vote in hometown amid heavy security

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — At least 70 police troopers assigned to secure political campaign sorties will shift to presidential security as President Arroyo casts her vote today in her hometown of Lubao, Pampanga.

Central Luzon police director Chief Superintendent Vidal Querol said yesterday the local security force will shield the President from harm, taking note of possible threats to her life.

"I see no immediate threat, but it is important to ensure the President’s security," Querol told The STAR.

As over 43 million Filipinos troop to various polling precincts, the President will cast her ballot in Barangay San Nicolas I where she and son Pampanga Vice Gov. Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo — who is running for congressman in the province’s second district — are registered voters.

Querol said a heightened security for the President is necessary especially since recent surveys show she is ahead of her rivals.

He noted the President had even canceled her remaining campaign sorties in Mindanao and the Visayas due to security threats.

Malacañang and the Presidential Security Group (PSG) have confirmed the threats, citing intelligence reports that some groups were planning to bomb the President’s convoy and rallies during campaign season.

This prompted the PSG to be placed on red alert and the deployment of additional policemen and the military in all entry and exit points in and around the Palace.

The PSG has activated "Task Force Golden Shield," citing extra precautionary measures to protect the President and her family.

Apart from assuring the President’s safety, Querol expressed confidence that elections will be peaceful in Central Luzon, which has about 4.8 million voters.

"We are ready for the elections and so far, we do not expect significant adverse developments. We are optimistic that the elections would be relatively peaceful," he said, despite the placing of four towns — Muñoz in Nueva Ecija, Bustos in Bataan, Arayat in Pampanga and Mariveles in Bulacan — under the control of the Commission on Elections. Querol received yesterday morning Resolution 6802 from the Comelec.

Central Luzon Comelec director Zoilo Perlas said there were no indications of any major problems in the elections in Central Luzon. "All is okay and I don’t see more areas being placed under Comelec control before the elections," he said.

Meanwhile in Pampanga, Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos issued an "urgent memorandum," reversing an earlier order of the Comelec’s second division striking off Mabalacat Mayor Marino Morales from the list of mayoral candidates in the town. Last Thursday, the division upheld a petition filed by five residents to bar Morales from seeking reelection, saying he had already served three successive terms.

Abalos’ order, coursed through Comelec lawyer Alioden Dalaig, pointed out that the division’s decision was not final and executory.

Morales had petitioned the Comelec en banc for reconsideration of the case by saying he never served his full term in the 1998 polls. Morales also noted in his appeal that in the latter part of his second term, the Comelec came out with a decision saying he did not win in the 1998 elections.

In Nueva Ecija, Gov. Tomas Joson III said he expects today’s elections in his province to be peaceful.

In a telephone interview with The STAR, Joson said the recent shooting of a town councilor in Muñoz, which is among the four towns now under Comelec control, was probably not election related.

"The victim was known as a former member of the underground communist movement," he said.

Joson also reiterated his support for Mrs. Arroyo, but admitted that in the local elections, candidates of his Balane party are running against administration candidates. Of 33 towns in Nueva Ecija, he said, 23 belong to his local party.

Nueva Ecija has around one million voters.

"We are working hard for the President’s victory in our province, although our latest survey indicated that FPJ (Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino’s presidential bet Fernando Poe Jr.) was still leading the President by about seven percent," Joson said.

In Bataan, provincial Comelec supervisor Orlando Torres said they are ready when voters troop to cast their ballots.

Torres said all election materials have been distributed early yesterday for use in 1,830 clustered precincts in 157 polling centers in Bataan’s 12 towns.

In Zambales, Comelec officer Alice Tan said it’s all systems go in today’s polls as all election materials were already relayed early morning yesterday for use in 1,237 precincts in Zambales and 566 precincts in Olongapo City.

"There are no election hot spots now, as there were none in the past elections in Zambales," Tan said.

Zambales has 259,415 registered voters, while Olongapo has 115,103, she said.