EDITORIAL - Political violence has always been part of Filipino culture

The Philippines seems to be the only country in the world where elections are always bloody. For decades, it has become ordinary for people --especially candidates-- to be killed in incidents related to political exercises.

This is largely due to the fact that elective positions in the local level are hotly contested as rivalry among politicians would sometimes result in violence because every candidate will always do whatever it takes to win.

The coming midterm elections are no exception. As we inch toward the final push for the May 13 exercise, we can only expect more violence to erupt. In fact, the list is already long of poll-related incidents that authorities recorded since the filing of certificates of candidacy late last year.

In Central Visayas alone, the Police Regional Office-7 reported at least 54 towns and cities have been included in the election watchlist areas (EWAs). Bohol tops the list with 24 areas, followed by Cebu with 20, and Negros Oriental, 10. Siquijor has zero poll hotspots.

According to authorities, those areas in the watchlist have a history of election-related violence, presence of armed groups, and intense political rivalry. Chief Inspector Dominick Poblete, chief of regional tactical operations at PRO-7, said they are now closely watching these areas.

Still, the Commission on Elections-7, Philippine National Police, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines see a peaceful election in Central Visayas in May as almost 6,000 armed personnel will be deployed in 2,913 voting centers across the region during the polls.

Political violence has become part of Filipino culture since the time we were fighting for our independence from Spain. And the only way to stop it is for us Filipinos to learn to respect the sacredness of the balloting.