LINGAYEN—The Pangasinan police is closely monitoring activities of 186 barangay officials who have earlier been arrested or have surrendered under the Oplan Tokhang war on drugs and have reportedly filed their certificates of candidacy for next month’s barangay and SK elections.

P/Sr. Superintendent Ronald Lee, police provincial director, said that some, if not most of the 186 personalities, will still run in the coming Barangay Elections on May 14.

“All of them are being monitored. Even if these barangay officials were already arrested and released but are running in the coming election,” Lee said on the sidelines of a press conference here presided by P/Chief Superintendent Romulo Sapitula, police regional director of Ilocos Region.

“They remain in our watch list,” Lee said.

However, he clarified that there is still no town or city in Pangasinan being considered as a possible hotspot. That will be determined after the period for filing of certificates of candidacy, he said.

There were areas in past elections included in the watch list but their status today was being assessed, Lee said.

Because many criminal and drug personalities have been “neutralized” as a result of the anti-crime and anti-drug campaign, “perhaps there may no longer be serious threats” to the peace and order in the barangays, Lee said.

Certain armed groups identified in past elections have been disbanded and neutralized by the series of police operations against them, he added.

So far, the provincial police have not received any report of candidates claiming to have received threats or intimidation.

“It means everything is peaceful and orderly,” Lee said.

Since the implementation of the gun ban on April 14, the police has arrested nine persons for violations.

Six were arrested through police operations, two by search warrant operation, and one by “Oplan Sita”. Nine handguns and gun replica were seized. (Leonardo Micua)

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