Comelec expects more cases of poll-related violence

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday expressed worries that there might be more incidents of election-related violence as the May automated polls near. "It looks like that there might be more election-related violence incidents (ERVI) [during this] election and we want to know why," Comelec spokesman James Jimenez told reporters on Wednesday. Despite the nationwide gun ban in effect, Comelec officials still notice ERVIs being directed at the candidates’ campaign trails. "We want to find out exactly whether this in fact a trend or is just a function of how close we are to the elections," he said. But the poll body official admitted that they don't have the figures to back up the observation yet. He said that the Comelec is constantly coordinating with the Philippine National Police (PNP) regarding the matter. Figures According to a report by Vote for Peace 2010, a nationwide initiative headed by the Consortium on Electoral Reform, 39 ERVIs that resulted in deaths or injuries happened from January 10 to March 25. Vote for Peace said the ERVIs can be partly explained by the continued presence of partisan armed groups and communist guerrillas, the proliferation of illegal firearms, and intense political rivalries among candidates. In the 2007 polls, statistics from the PNP showed 100 people were reported killed in election-related violence. In the 2004 presidential elections, a total of 189 people were reported killed while 279 others were wounded. Earlier, the PNP said that it has already placed all its forces nationwide on heightened alert, especially in the localities because ERVIs are generally more rampant at the local level compared to the national level. In a separate report, the PNP said it has already identified a total of 558 cities and municipalities considered as areas of concern for the upcoming polls — or what it called "election watchlist of areas." Of the figure, 118 areas are located in the ARMM and 440 are in other regions. The PNP classifies the watchlist of areas under two categories. The first group includes areas where election-related violence "is expected to occur," while the second group includes areas where there are existing threat from extremist groups. Placing areas under Comelec control However, Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said that even if cases of election-related violence occur in certain areas, it doesn't necessarily mean that the area has to be placed under Comelec control. Once placed under Comelec control, the area will be governed by an assigned Comelec commissioner who will act as governor. Not only will the commissioner be allowed to run the province, the official will also be in charge of all law enforcement agencies in the area. The Comelec has already received several requests from some local government units asking them to place their area under the jurisdiction, Larrazabal said. However, he refused to name which areas these are. He said that placing an area under the poll body’s control would require a hearing and a resolution by the Comelec en banc. The move will be based on many factors, depending on its needs, Jimenez said. "In many cases what you also want to look at is the placing of a place under Comelec control, is that a legitimate action or might it be used for political reasons," he said. He added that taking away the powers of local officials may prove to be too "obtrusive" for an area. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV