MikeLigalig.com

By Angeline Valencia

Peace and order seem to have started melting down as the barangay election heats up, prompting the provincial command of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to add three more barangays to the watchlist of areas of concern.

Police Insp. Ramoncelio Sawan of the Operations Division of the Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO) confirmed that as of Saturday, the election watch list of areas of concern (EWACs) already included 23 barangays in 11 towns.

Bohol provincial police director Sr. Supt. Constantino Barot Jr. considered the shooting incident in barangay Rizal in the municipality of Bilar as the first poll-related violence within the barangay election period.

Based on the observed stiff rivalry of candidates and election or political history of the areas, the BPPO identified the areas of concern as barangays Cuaming in Inabanga town; Batasan Island in Tubigon; Kabasakan, San Roque, San Antonio, San Vicente Sur, and Sta. Cruz in Sagbayan; Malinao East in Lila; Canmanico, Cansibao, and Poblacion Occidental in Valencia; Cabul-an, Montana, Lubang, and Panghagban in Buenavista; Popo and Canmangao in Pres. Carlos P. Garcia; Nasingin, Pandanon, and Taytay in Getafe.

Sawan said that the BPPO added in the watch list barangays Villa Garcia in Sierra-Bullones, Pogpong in Clarin, and Rizal in Bilar.

Last Thursday night, Juanito Cainghog , a candidate for barangay chairman in Rizal, and a group of supporters were having a conversation when reportedly fired upon by unidentified suspect, leading nearby residents to panic. Unfortunately no one was hit.

The responding police team recovered five empty shells of 5.56 mm ammunition at the crime scene.

Barot considered it as an election-related incident.

Last Wednesday night, police manning a checkpoint in Barangay Kaluasan recovered a hand grenade inside a plastic bag thrown by two motorcycle-riding men near the checkpoint, apparently to avoid being inspected.

A police team tried to pursue them for possible apprehension, but failed.

At 2:29 a.m. of October 21, the Trinidad Police Station received a text message from Roman Fernandez, a candidate for barangay captain in Hinlayagan, reporting that his residence was blasted by unknown suspects.

Trinidad municipal police chief, Police Insp. Judel Torregoza, immediately proceeded to the residence of Fernandez and found the steel gate of the garage partly damaged as believed to have been caused by an impact from an improvised homemade explosive.

The responding team recovered fragments of black plastic container and torn pieces of paper that resembled a wrapper of firecrackers.(PNA)

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