ILOILO – The chief of the police station in the municipality of Sara is seeking additional policemen to bolster his unit’s force.
Three of Sara’s 42 barangays have been identified as “election watch list areas” (EWAs), said Senior Inspector Gilbert Baldevarona.
The synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections are on May 14.
Barangays Tady and Muyco were classified as “EWAs category 2” for having insurgency problems while Barangay Crespo was “EWAs category 1” due to previous election-related violent incidents.
Baldevarona said he requested from the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) an additional 48 policemen for deployment to the three barangays.
The election period started on April 14 and would end on May 21 or a week after the polls.
Baranays Tady, Crespo and Muyco were part of 88 Iloilo barangays that the IPPO considered as EWAs or election hotspots after a series of reviews in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
IPPO director Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba said other municipalities also need additional policemen.
He has yet to act on Baldevarona’s request but said some from the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company would be tapped for Sara.
Tayaba said there would be checkpoints in the 88 EWAs barangays and the campaign against loose firearms intensified.
He did not discount the possibility that more barangays would be included in the IPPO’s election watch list.
Iloilo province has a total of 1,721 barangays scattered in 42 municipalities and one component city (Passi).
The campaign is from May 4 to May 12./PN
