53 Caraga villages tagged as ‘hot spots’

BUTUAN CITY — Fifty-three villages in the Caraga region are potential "hot spots" in the forthcoming elections mainly due to communist threats, police said.

Chief Superintendent Alberto Rama Olario, Caraga police director, said three of the 53 barangays — two in Agusan del Sur and one in Surigao del Sur — are "areas of immediate concern."

Olario, however, said the number may increase or decrease depending on the daily assessment of police authorities, clarifying that the list is based on poll-related incidents in 2001.

He added though that the presence of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in these communities makes them potential "hot spots."

Lawyer Rolando Edayan, Commission on Elections officer for Agusan del Norte, said they will discuss the current situation with the police and the military tomorrow.