21 Northern Mindanao towns, cities on poll watchlist

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – At least 21 towns and cities in Northern Mindanao are on the election watchlist of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

At a briefing attended by local government officials on Thursday, Superintendent Ronnie Francis Cariaga, PNP- Region 10 chief of operations, said four of the 21 areas are being monitored for “intense political rivalry.” These are Cagayan de Oro City in Misamis Oriental and Iligan City and the municipalities of Kauswagan and Pantao Ragat in Lanao del Norte.

Cagayan de Oro City has three mayoral candidates – Mayor Oscar Moreno, former mayor Vicente Emano and Rep. Rufus Rodriguez.

In Iligan City, detained Mayor Celso Regencia and Vice Mayor Ruderic Marzo are running for mayor. Regencia’s detention was in connection with the frustrated murder charges filed by Rep. Vicente Belmonte after he was wounded in an ambush in 2014.

Cariaga said a shooting incident between the supporters of disqualified Kauswagan Mayor Rommel Arnado and his rival Florante Capitan on Jan. 9 prompted the PNP-Region 10 to include the town on the election watchlist.

He said the PNP is also monitoring armed groups, which could be used by any of the candidates to intimidate the supporters of their rivals. He did not identify the areas where the gangs are operating.