Police sets up 31 Comelec checkpoints in poll ‘hotspot’ Samar province

TACLOBAAN CITY, Jan. 13 (PNA) – At least 31 Comelec (Commission on Elections) checkpoints have been set up in Samar province, where many places have been identified by the police as area of concern this election period.

Six of these checkpoints are in Calbayog City, where several election-related killings have been reported since last year, said Samar police provincial director Sr. Supt Rommel Cabagnot.

“Aside from 26 checkpoints in 24 towns and two cities, we have additional five checkpoints in Calbayog City. This is on top of mobile checkpoints in our effort to prevent crimes,” Cabagnot said.

The police official, who was just installed as provincial police chief last month, said that a team of policemen has been patrolling around the city center of Calbayog to step up security in the area.

Calbayog City and all towns within the first legislative district of Samar are included in the police areas of concern this coming elections.

These are Almagro, Gandara, Matuguinao, Pagsanghan, San Jorge, Santa Margarita, Santo Niño, Tagapul-an, Tarangnan.

Outside Samar’s first district, in the elections watch list are Hinabangan, Paranas, Pinabacdao, San Jose de Buan, and Tarangnan.

These areas have been on the list because of past and recent election-related violence, presence of private armed groups, intense political rivalry and insurgency problem.

The police provincial office is also preparing to welcome the 88 members of the Police Special Action Force, who will help secure the hotpots in Samar province during election period.

Samar has 875 policemen with 81 of them are assigned in Calbayog City.

The official assured that policemen are not supporting 6any politician including the allies of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento, who hails from Samar. The cabinet secretary’s brother is running for congress in Samar’s first district.

“We are consistent with our mandate. That is to ensure peace and order without fear or favor,” Cabganot added.

The police are keeping its eye on 131 active members of the private armed groups who are in control of 158 firearms. Authorities are expecting that some politicians will use private armies to harm their opponents and intimidate voters. (PNA)
FPV/SARWELL Q. MENIANO

Top Comelec Visayas regional officials swap posts

TACLOBAN CITY, Jan. 13 (PNA) - The three regional offices of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the Visayas have formally reshuffled their top officials.

Comelec Eastern Visayas Regional Director Jose Nick Mendros said he is supposed to be transferred on January 10 to Comelec Central Visayas office in Cebu, however, he requested for extension to wind up with some activities.

This includes the completion of the rating process for field officers on their individual performance and commitment review.

Based on the memorandum of their transfer, they are given until February 9 or the start of the campaign period, to assume the new post.

Comelec Western Visayas Regional Director Dennis L. Ausan will be assigned to the regional office in Tacloban while Comelec Central Visayas Regional Director Temie P. Lambino will be transferred to the regional office in Iloilo.

Majority of election officers will also be subject to transfer, but the regional office here still awaits for recommendations from the provincial election officers.

Priority for transfer are those election officers whose family members and relatives are candidates in their present area of assignment.

Automatically transferred are election officers who have been in their area of assignment for four years. They will be assigned to another congressional district. (PNA)
FPV/SQM/LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA/EGR

300,000 voters delisted in Eastern Visayas

TACLOBAN CITY, Jan. 12 (PNA) - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has deleted nearly 300,000 names from the list of voters for the 2016 elections in Eastern Visayas in an effort to clean its record.

Comelec Regional Director Jose Nick Mendros said 81,000 names were removed from the voters’ list for failure to complete biometrics registration.

“These people cannot blame us because we have given ample time to complete the biometrics registration. We also launched a massive information drive to make them aware and satellite registration for their convenience,” Mendros added.

The poll body also removed about 200,000 names for failure to vote in the past two national and local elections.

Under Section 27 of Republic Act 8189 or The Voter's Registration Act "any person who did not vote in the two successive preceding regular elections as shown by their voting records" will be delisted.

Included in the more than 200,000 voters are deceased persons and those who migrated out of the region.

With the updating of records, the region has now 2,698,880 voters with Leyte having the most number of registered voters among six provinces at 1,151,497.

The remaining voters are in Samar (490,421), Northern Samar (386,163), Eastern Samar (300,818), Southern Leyte (261,418), and Biliran (108,833).

The region’s 2.69 million people will cast their votes to fill in the 1,454 seats being aspired by 3,436 candidates.

Of the number, 28 candidates are contesting for seats in the House of Representative, 19 for governors, 12 for vice governors, 126 for provincial boards, 339 for city and town mayors, 318 for vice mayors, and 2,594 for city and town councils. (PNA)
JBP/SARWELL Q. MENIANO

Police tags 44 Eastern Visayas towns as election watchlist

TACLOBAN CITY, Jan. 11 (PNA) – The Philippine National Police (PNP) has tagged 44 towns in Eastern Visayas as election watchlist areas in relation to the May 9 elections.

In the list of areas of concern list are 15 towns in Samar, 12 towns in Leyte, nine in Northern Samar, seven in Eastern Samar, and one in Biliran.

Sr. Supt. Brigido Unay, chief of the police regional intelligence division, said these places of concern have been consistently included in the past elections.

“These have been categorized as areas of concern because of past and recent election-related violence, presence of private armed groups, intense political rivalry and insurgency problem,” Unay said.

Calbayog City and all towns within the first legislative district of Samar are included in the areas of concern. These are Almagro, Gandara, Matuguinao, Pagsanghan, San Jorge, Santa Margarita, Santo Niño, Tagapul-an, Tarangnan.

Outside Samar’s first district identified in the watch list are Hinabangan, Paranas, Pinabacdao, San Jose de Buan, and Tarangnan.

The police official declined to disclose the specific areas in Leyte, Biliran, Northern Samar and Eastern included in the watch list for 2016 polls, but he said the list are the same in 2013.

Listed as hotspots in the last elections are Baybay and Ormoc cities and the towns of Bato, Inopacan, Kananga, Matag-ob, Tabango, San Miguel, Albuera, Burauen, Carigara, and Jaro in Leyte.

In Eastern Samar, these areas are Arteche, Taft, Can-avid, Dolores, Hernani, General MacArthur, Jipapad and Quinapondan.

In Northern Samar, these places are Bobon, Catubig, Mapanas, Mondragon, Palapag, San Isidro, Gamay, Las Navas, Lavezares, Lope de Vega, Pambujan, Capul and Victoria. The only town in Biliran province tagged as watchlist in the past elections was Kawayan.

Only the Southern Leyte province was not included in the police areas of concern this year.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Regional Director Jose Nick Mendros said there will be more deployment of police in these areas to ensure peaceful, orderly, and honest elections.

“More intensified checkpoints will be implemented in these areas to help prevent the occurrence of election-related violence,” Mendros added.

The Comelec, PNP, and the Philippine Army has stepped up security measures for the May 9, 2016 polls with the election period kick off on Sunday. (PNA)
FFC/SARWELL Q. MENIANO

Northern Samar poll officers asked to check status of typhoon-hit voting centers

TACLOBAN CITY, Jan. 7 (PNA) – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) regional office here has asked election officers in Northern Samar to conduct inventory of typhoon hit-areas to see if classrooms can still be used as voting centers in the May 9, 2016 polls.

Comelec Regional Director Jose Nick Mendros said town election officers are given until January 15 to complete the assessment of school buildings destroyed by typhoon Nona when it ravaged the province last month.

“We expect that there are damages. That is why we asked them to check if these are still usable and if not, we would like to hear their recommendations,” Mendros told PNA.

Northern Samar has 476 schools tagged as voting centers in the past elections.

Possible alternative voting centers are village halls, multi-purpose halls, and covered courts. Churches and privately-owned structures are not considered as alternative voting centers.

“After the assessment, the election officer will come up with a request for transfer of voting precincts,” Mendros added.

The Comelec will also coordinate with the Department of Education to find out if they have capability to fix damaged classrooms before Election Day. (PNA)
FFC/SQM

Poll body reminds gov’t officials, candidates of election period don'ts

TACLOBAN CITY, Jan. 6 (PNA) – The Commission on Elections has reminded government officials and candidates to strictly observe prohibited acts in connection with the 2016 elections that will take effect on Jan. 10.

Comelec Eastern Visayas Regional Director Jose Nick Mendros said the prohibitions between Jan. 10 until June 8 will help ensure peaceful, orderly, and honest elections on May 9, 2016.

Prohibitions starting Jan. 10 are transfer or movement of officers and employees in the civil service; bearing, carrying or transporting firearms or other deadly weapons or commonly known as gun ban; use of security personnel or bodyguards by candidates; and organization or maintenance of reaction forces, strike forces or other similar forces; and suspension of elective local officials.

Suspension order by the Office of the Ombudsman for local elective officials is exempted as it applies the “Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.”

Candidates could be exempted to gun ban and use of security personnel if they have written authority from the poll body.

“Comelec checkpoints to be manned by the local police will be set up in every city and town to implement the gun ban and prevent election-related violence,” Mendros said.

Only a visual search of the vehicle is allowed at the checkpoints, according to Comelec.

“The search, which is normally permissible, is limited to visual search where the officer simply looks into the vehicle and flashes a flashlight therein without opening the car’s door,” the Comelec stated.

Starting Feb. 9, 2016, prohibited acts under the Omnibus Election Code are giving donations or gift in cash or in kind, etc.; and appointment or use of special policemen, confidential agents and the like.

Campaigning for candidates in the national position will start on the same day, but they are prohibited to woe voters on March 24 to 25 in observance of Holy Week. Local candidates are supposed to start their campaign on March 25, but Holy Week push the campaign period kick off to March 26.

All forms of campaigning will end on May 8, 2016 or on the eve of Election Day.

The prohibition on illegal release of prisoners will take effect on March 10, 2016 until the end of election period.

Starting March 25, the government is banned to appointment or hire new employees, create or fill up of new positions; promotion or giving of salary increases, remuneration or privilege.

Also prohibited starting that day until June 8 are construction of public works, delivery of materials for public works and issuance of treasury warrant or similar devises for a future undertaking chargeable against public funds.

Between May 8 to 9, any efforts to woe voters are unlawful. Among these are giving, accepting, free transportation, food or drinks or things of value.

“Soliciting votes or undertaking any propaganda for or against any candidate or any political party within the polling place or within 30 meters thereof” is also prohibited on Election Day.

Liqour ban will also strictly be observed between May 8 to 9.

Other prohibitions on Election Day are opening of booths or stalls for the sale, etc., of merchandise or refreshments within a radius of 30 meters from the polling place; holding of fairs, cockfights, boxing, horse races or any other similar sports.

Comelec records show that there are 3,436 candidates in Eastern Visayas for the 2016 elections vying for 1,454 seats.

Of the number, 28 candidates are contesting for seats in the House of Representative, 19 for governors, 12 for vice governors, 126 for provincial boards, 339 for city and town mayors, 318 for vice mayors, and 2,594 for city and town councils. (PNA)
FPV/SARWELL Q. MENIANO

Comelec notes drop in number of registered voters for 2016 polls in Samar

CALBAYOG CITY, Samar, Jan. 4 (PNA) –- A total of 490,420 names appeared on the final list of registered voters for the May 9, 2016 elections in Samar province, lower than what the Commission on Elections (Comelec) recorded two years ago.

The drop in the number of voters, according to the Comelec, was the result of the cleansing/deactivation of some voters due to absence of biometric data, unable to vote for the past two elections as well as the transfer of registration of some voters to other places.

Among the 24 towns and two cities in the province, this city remains a vote-rich area with 110,028 registered voters.

Other top five areas with high-voting population are Catbalogan City (60,033), Basey (31,643), Daram (25,607), and Sta. Rita (24,877).

Samar province has 951 villages. It has a total of 3,385 established precincts and 1,165 clustered precincts.

Meanwhile, the local police has already stepped up its plan to secure the peace and order of the province for the coming elections.

In Calbayog City, city police chief Supt. Salvador Tagle said that stricter conduct of checkpoint will be implemented starting Jan. 10 as election period starts. Gun ban will be enforced during this period.

Tagle calls on the support and cooperation of the public for the smooth conduct of checkpoints.

“We would like to appeal to the public to support the authorities and follow what are prohibited during the election period, especially carrying of guns,” he added. (PNA)
JMC/SQM/JENNIFER S. ALLEGADO/EGR