PROVINCE NOT A HIGH RISK

LINGAYEN–The League of Municipal Mayors in Pangasinan passed a resolution requesting the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to remove Pangasinan from the list of 15 provinces considered as areas of concern in the May 2013 mid-term elections.

The mayors, headed by Mayor Noel Nacar of Dasol, expressed their concern on the province’s inclusion in the list during a dialogue-consultation called by Governor Amado Espino Jr. on Tuesday.

The dialogue – attended by the provincial board members, mayors, chiefs of police, and representatives of national government agencies – was aimed at discussing preparations to be undertaken by the province to ensure clean, honest and peaceful elections alongside the “Oplan: Secure and Fair Elections (SAFE) 2013” of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

In his message, Espino apologized to the local chief executives as he acknowledged that his candidacy for his third and final term of office could be the most likely reason for the declaration of the province as one of the areas of concern by the DILG.

At the same time, he asked the chiefs of police from the 44 municipalities and three cities to do their duties.

“Leave the politics to us politicians and you do your duties according to your conscience to ensure a clean, honest and peaceful election,” Espino said.

“As the provincial government is concerned on the impact of the declaration, everyone in the province is as concerned as it might affect the image of the whole of Pangasinan since we are now closer to becoming the number one province in the whole country,” said Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan.

The DILG list is based on intense political rivalry, presence of violence and guns-for-hire.

COURSE OF ACTION

Col. Vic Castro, Commanding Officer of the 702^nd Infantry Defender Battalion, presented the Pangasinan Provincial Police Office (PPPO) courses of actions to guarantee SAFE 2013.

Castro also said the PPPO’s priority areas in the meantime include the four cities in Pangasinan (Alaminos, San Carlos, Urdaneta and Dagupan; and Rosales since these areas presented the highest crime volume and are crime-prone areas.

Provincial Elections Supervisor Atty. Marino V. Salas, For his part, presented the preparations and guidelines being undertaken by the Commission on Elections (Comelec),.

SP INQUIRY

Meanwhile, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan has invited top regional and provincial officers of the police, Comelec and the DILG to the council’s session on December 3 to explain the parameters used as basis for Pangasinan’s inclusion in the list of high-risk areas.

In a resolution approved by the board last week, the SP countered that Pangasinan is perceived to be one of the peaceful provinces in the country based on previous elections.

“While the province of Pangasinan fully supports the program of the national government on having a secure and fair elections by 2013, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan however would like to be clarified on the parameters used in declaring the province of Pangasinan as an area of concern for the next local elections,” reads the resolution sponsored by 2nd District Board Member Von Mark Mendoza.

In his speech, Mendoza said, “If we may use as basis the last 2010 elections, the province was very peaceful… In fact, if I may consider, that 2010 provincial or local elections can be gleaned as highly significant because it was a battle of two strong candidates.”

In 2010, Pangasinan was not in the high-risk list.

“Are we seeing here a mind conditioning show, a scenario that will show that Pangasinan is indeed a high risk area?” Mendoza asked.

Vice Governor Jose Ferdinand Calimlim Jr., chair of the SP, echoed the council’s stand and said the high-risk tag “is questionable”.

“Wala silang report, negative report or any kind of threat regarding Pangasinan except maybe for two or three municipalities na tinigtignan nila na posibleng may intense political rivalry pero sa province as a whole ay wala namang ganung assessment,” said Calimlim, who is also running for re-election as Espino’s mate.–With reports from Hilda M. Austria, Johanne R. Macob, and Eva Visperas)

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