Debate over ‘watchlist’ continues
THE towns of Bautista, Rosales and Pozorrubio are being recommended for exclusion from the watchlist but not Alaminos City.
The refusal of the provincial police to recommend the downgrading of the perceived potential political violence in the city has irked Alaminos Mayor Hernani Braganza.
“Alaminos City, home of the well-known Hundred Islands National Park, is a tourist spot not a “hot spot”, the mayor stressed as he continues to protest the inclusion of the city in the ‘election watchlist areas’ (EWAs) of the Philippine National Police regional office.
Braganza said being in the watchlist would scare both tourists and potential investors in the booming city.
But the police provincial director, Senior Superintendent Percival Barba, is standing firm on Alaminos’ status as part of the watchlist.
“Yong sa Alaminos, hindi namin tatanggalin yon,” said Barba.
The provincial police chief insists that an intense political rivalry is seen in the May 10, 2010 elections in Alaminos City where Braganza is running for his third term as mayor under the Liberal Party against 1st district Rep. Arthur Celeste under the Lakas-Kampi-Christian Muslim Democrats party.
He chided Braganza and said the mayor should even be thankful that his city will be given special attention by the PNP, deploying more policemen to preserve peace and order in the area making the city safer for tourists and investors.
Other areas in the watchlist include Malasiqui, San Carlos City, Dagupan City, San Manuel, Binalonan, Pozorrubio, Tayug, Natividad, San Nicolas, Rosales, Basista, Pozorrubio, Sual and Bolinao.
Barba pointed out that Agno, whose mayor was gunned down in 2008, should be included while the peace and order situation in Bautista, Rosales and Pozorrubio warrants the exclusion of the three.
Braganza earlier told a media forum that in the last 20 years that he has been in public service and even prior to that as a voter, Alaminos was never listed as a ‘hot spot’ and this year’s election is not seen as any different in the past.#
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