7 Laguna towns declared poll hot spots due to NPAs

Police declared seven municipalities in Laguna areas of concern not because of intense political rivalries but due to the presence of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in these areas.

Senior Superintendent Felipe Rojas Jr., Laguna police director, however, said their intelligence operatives have not monitored the NPA rebels issuing "permits to campaign" to local politicians.

According to Rojas, the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division based in Tanay, Rizal is helping them contain the problems posed by the NPA’s presence in the towns of Sta. Maria, Kalayaan, Siniloan, Liliw, Cavinti, Majayjay and Nagcarlan, all located at the boundary of Laguna and Quezon, a rebel-infested province.

"The presence of Army troopers here is a big boost to our effort to ensure peaceful and orderly elections here in May," Rojas said.

Rojas said not a single politician in Laguna’s four districts and 36 towns and four cities has been monitored to be maintaining private armed groups.

He said Laguna is a politically peaceful province with no previous election-related incidents like ballot snatching.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) tags places as areas of concern due to intense political rivalries, violent incidents in past elections, and the presence of NPA guerrillas.

Rojas said they have so far confiscated 41 loose firearms in checkpoints across the province, and those caught have been charged in court.

Despite these positive developments, Rojas, however, is still making sure that the May 14 elections in Laguna will be peaceful and honest by initiating a peace covenant among rival politicians today.

Re-electionist Gov. Teresita Lazaro and her challenger, Vice Gov. Edwin Olivarez, and candidates in the province’s four congressional districts are expected to sign the peace covenant after the flag-raising ceremony today at the PNP headquarters in Sta. Cruz, the capital town.

Witnessing the event are Chief Superintendent Nicasio Radovan, Region 4-A police director; Maj. Gen. Ferdinand Mesa, 2nd ID commander, and provincial officials of the Commission on Elections.

Rojas said candidates in the local level would sign their own peace covenants in their respective cities and municipalities.