Reds to try to influence barangay elections, says Army general

BAGUIO CITY — Communist guerrillas will dip their fingers in the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, a top military commander in Northern Luzon said yesterday.

Brig. Gen. Rodolfo Alvarado, commanding-general of the Army’s 5th Infantry Division based in Gamu, Isabela, said, "Of course, they will have to do something to influence the results of the elections."

The 5th ID has two brigades deployed in various areas in the Ilocos, Cagayan Valley and Cordillera regions.

Alvarado said they are prepared to "prevent" communist guerrillas from sowing violence to favor their own candidates in barangays where the underground movement is relatively strong.

Alvarado was here along with other ranking military commanders in Northern Luzon to attend the meeting of the Regional Peace and Order Council convened by President Arroyo Tuesday morning.

He said the military is closely coordinating with local government units, the Commission on Elections and the Philippine National Police to mount a concerted effort to thwart meddling by the insurgents in the conduct of the July 15 elections.

Last week, Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes told the military’s Northern Luzon Command (Nol—com) based in Tarlac that the communist insurgency remains to be a "concern" in Northern Luzon, especially in Tarlac, Aurora and Pan—gasinan.

According to Reyes, the number of New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas has increased by seven percent in Northern and Central Luzon.

Maj. Gen. Rodolfo Garcia, Nol—com chief, disclosed that communist rebels in the two regions may reach 1,200.

"We are still looking for indicators to confirm such a plan of the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines)-NPA," Alvarado said.

Military intelligence sources, however, said the NPA and its political arm, the National Democratic Front, will field candidates in the barangay elections or, at the least, ask leaders in "NPA-influenced" communities to run to fortify the underground movement’s influence in barangay political affairs.