MikeLigalig.com

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PNA) — Military authorities in Bohol are describing the province as “generally peaceful” despite sightings of armed men and intensely growing verbal tussle amongst political rivals here.

Major Orlando Sampayan of the Military Intelligence Group, reported during the joint meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council, Provincial Development Council and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan earlier this month that the Group is monitoring the movements of “mysterious personalities” believed to be hired goons from Masbate, Bukidnon and Ozamis City in Bohol’s second and third districts.

In his report, Sampayan added that information on his assessment on the present situation showing “political schemes and maneuvers observed in the province such as exchanging allegations of anomalies, black propaganda, and character assassination.”

He underlined in his report that“the presence of unknown personalities allegedly coming from Masbate, Bukidnon, and Osamis is an indication that politics in Bohol is said to be volatile and explosive.”

Regarding that particular matter, the military in the province notes that “it is most likely that politicians may also be favored on the reported arrival or sightings of armed groups due to the incoming national and local elections.”

The armed groups “continue to evade government troops because they don’t want to be compromised,” said the authorities.

Col. Allan Luga, Commander of the Philippine Army’s 802nd Brigade, reported that in the recent joint conference of the Commission on Elections, the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines at the Police Regional Office in Cebu, it was learned that Bohol has one Category 1 area which is Tagbilaran City.

Luga explained that Category 1 areas are those where there are high possibility of occurrence of politically motivated violent incidents on the basis of election-related violent incidents (ERVI) happening in such areas in the past two elections, with no participation of domestic terror groups.

The area classification is based on the February 13, 2004 ambush of Governor Erico Aumentado and the anticipation of intense political rivalry in Tagbilaran City, particularly where it involves the candidacy of Vice Mayor Jose Antonio Veloso for mayor against incumbent Mayor Dan Lim.

The military is also aware of the fact that Vice Mayor Veloso is the brother-in-law of 1st District Rep. Edgar Chatto, whose publicists have been airing criticisms against the administration of Mayor Lim.

Other factors are the existence of intense partisan political rivalry with no participation of domestic terror groups, possible employment of partisan armed groups by candidates in the area, and occurrence of politically-motivated ERVI in the current election period with no participation of domestic terror groups.

Classifed as Category 2 are areas where there are serious armed threats posed by the LCM, SPSGs and the like, based on available intelligence reports that suggest possible or actual occurrence of election-related violent incidents or the existence of intense partisan political climate caused by either the local Communist movement (LCM) or Southern Philippines secessionist groups (SPSG).

An area or province will also be classified as Category 2 if it is under the area of operations of very active guerilla fronts of the LCM or the guerilla base commands/units of the SPSGs, and if at least half of total existing barangays in the area are affected by communist terrorists.

On the poverty situation, Sampayan reported that based on the actual survey by different non-governmental organizations, the “poverty situation in Bohol has been reduced gradually.”

Concern by authorities is on a report that most of the cooperatives awarded with financial assistance in the province “have not been operating properly, with most of them now bankrupt.”

These cooperatives organized to address poverty incidence and eventually solve insurgency have been considered to be instrumental in sustaining the faith of former rebels in the government.


Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=26385.0