Central Luzon police ready to prevent brown-out ‘hocus pocus’ during counting

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — Emergency lights and power generators have been installed in various polling precincts in Central Luzon to prevent unscrupulous individuals from initiating cheating in case there will be a power outage during the canvassing of votes, police said yesterday.

Chief Supt. Enrique Galang, Central Luzon police director, said at least 103 emergency lights have been installed and 18 power generators are on standby, ready for distribution should the need arises to ensure honest, orderly, peaceful election come May 14 polls.

"We will not allow darkness to rule during the counting of votes," Galang said, volunteers are prepared for the May 14 polls.

Meanwhile, military troopers in full-battle-gear from the Philippine Army’s 69th Infantry Battalion have been deployed in various areas in Central Luzon to augment the police in keeping the election peaceful and orderly.

The Police and Comelec have identified at least 28 towns in Central Luzon under areas of concern while two towns in Bulacan fall under immediate concern during election.

The Regional Election Monitoring Action Center (REMAC) stationed in this police camp recorded at least nine election related violent incidents in different areas in region 3 including the foiled ambush-slay of a candidate for councilor in Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija last April 29 that left three persons dead and eight other wounded.

In a related development, more police and military troops were deployed in several towns of Cagayan Valley where election related violence may erupt anytime.

Chief Superintendent Dominador Resos, Jr., said that combined police and Army forces were sent to several areas where incidents of harassment, vote buying and armed conflict between supporters of local politicians have been reported.

Requests for additional troops in several Cagayan areas, among them in Buguey, Aparri, Enrile and Sanchez Mira towns, were also sought by the Church to provide security of the residents who are reportedly being harassed by politicians.

Resos noted the incident in Enrile, Cagayan last March 9 where five supporters of mayoralty candidate Remedios Turingan had a firefight with a security escort of her rival, Pedro Trinidad, one Sgt. Virgilio Pajarillo. However, no one reportedly hurt in the brief encounter.

Vote buying has also been reportedly rampant in Isabela where several candidates reportedly attached P500 bills to the sample ballots they were distributing to voters. Authorities confiscated at least one hundred sample ballots each stapled to a P500 bill in IIigan and Santiago City in Isabela.

The same vote-buying scheme has been noted in Tuguegarao City and in the entire third district of Cagayan where its congressional seat is being hotly contested by incumbent Rep. Rodolfo Aguinaldo and former Rep. Manuel Mamba said. — Ric Sapnu, Charlie Lagasca