21 towns, cities under close watch

Police and military authorities said yesterday 21 towns and cities throughout the country which the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has listed as "areas of immediate concern" have been placed under close watch.

In a command briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, officials of the Comelec, the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police also placed 537 other towns and cities with histories of poll-related violence, local insurgency problems and intensive political rivalries under their watch list.

Meanwhile, Director Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., chief of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force, said his group has erred in reporting that at least 500 private armed groups exist in the country.

"Our figure was wrong, and the PNP-AFP figure of 91 is correct," Ebdane told reporters.

Listed as "areas of immediate concern" were the following: Laoag City, Ilocos Norte; Paoay, San Nicolas and Vintar, Ilocos Norte; Mallig, Isabela; Angat, Bulacan; Bansud and San Teodoro, Mindoro Oriental; Bacon, Sorsogon; Legazpi City, Albay; Lope de Vega and Catarman, Northern Samar; Tarragona, Davao Oriental; Arakan, North Cotabato; Butuan City, Agusan del Norte; Lingig, Surigao del Sur; Kabuntalan, Sultan Kudarat, Buluan and Maganoy, Maguindanao; and Lagayan, Abra.

PNP chief Deputy Director General Leandro Mendoza said during the command briefing that 703 people have been arrested nationwide for violation of the election gun ban.