Only six LGUs are in EWAS in Bohol

TAGBILARAN CITY  , Philippines  â€” During the joint security conference in Tagbilaran City recently, the Comelec, the military and the police there have, in their latest assessment, declared that only the capital city and five towns were named under the election watchlist areas (EWAs).

This was contrary to the records of PRO-7, which still showed the entire province (Tagbilaran City and all 47 towns) still in the list, making Bohol having the most number of EWAs in Central Visayas.

Garbo was quoted during his visit to Negros Oriental on Thursday as saying that Cebu only has 14 EWAs, Negros Oriental has 13 and Siquijor has six.

Authorities in Bohol may not have agreed on the PRO-7 assessment regarding Bohol but they said they have been monitoring security situations in the towns of Danao, Trinidad, Carmen, Buenavista and Candijay.

Castillano of Comelec-Bohol cited either intense political rivalry or incidence of violence as the reasons for placing these areas in the EWAs. Some incidents of violence and exchange of harsh words between rival camps alarmed authorities and even the candidates themselves, prompting the joint security coordinating center to investigate the proliferation of loose firearms.

In Danao town, there had been reports that the camps of Mayor Louis Thomas Gonzaga whose mother is running for mayor against his cousin, Vice Mayor Jose Cepedoza, have been exchanging allegations of threats and harassments, which have been published in earlier issues of local newspapers.

The local media were also checking the veracity of an information fed by some supporters of Gonzaga that the man who claimed to be a security guard when caught carrying a gun was a goon of Cepedoza, contrary also to the allegations that the local media had been partial in handling issues involving politicians.

In Trinidad town, some sources from the Aumentado group alleged that political opponents have sneaked in goons from Mindanao—allegedly remnants of the Kuratong Baleleng. Similar allegations also came out in past election seasons. However, these were never been confirmed by the authorities.

In the town of Buenavista, police received several reports of shooting incidents even at the height of the Comelec gun ban.

So far, only in Tagbilaran City and the six towns that the local security coordinating council monitored history of intense rivalry and other factors, prompting a close watch of these areas for the entire election period.  (FREEMAN)