WHATEVER is thrown to stir the simmering political brew in Bohol, the police, military and the civil society is ready.
On the eve before the campaign for local positions open, PSSupt. Anthony Obenza reported that a company of police reinforcements from then 4th Regional Mobile Group, now the Regional Public Safety Group was on its way to three towns in Bohol to keep peace.
Speaking during the Provincial Peace and Order Council Meeting March 25, at the Seglim of the Bohol Tropics, Obenza said a platoon each from the company would be assigned as augmentation force to the integral police units of Getafe, Trinidad and Ubay.
The top Camp Dagohoy officer added that he received the deployment instructions just Tuesday but did not elaborate on the specific reasons reasons why such a deployment was requested.
Earlier, the Council received reports about the entry of goons in the Second District, and believed to be sent to intimidate voters into supporting individual candidates.
On the other hand, speaking for the newly promoted Brig. General Alan Luga, 802nd Brigade in Carmen town, major Edurado Malig-on Jr. said the entire province is now being closely monitored by the military through its different units strategically located all over Bohol.
Malig-on, who gave the brigade’s first ever happy report after Bohol was declared insurgency free last February 11 said they are now eyeing the activity of the militant legal fronts called District White Area Committees in their efforts to recover lost ground.
After consistent anti-poverty efforts theough convergence of efforts, the armed members of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front left the fight to legal front members.
The battle for recovery efforts are now mainly staged in schools and urban areas, military intelligence operatives shared to the council earlier.
Aside from the brigade and its support units all over Bohol, Maj Jose Laplap Jr of the Special Forces Batallion said they are handling close to a thousand CAFGU regulars in 30 detachments now exercising holding operations to keep internal security.
The military also did not discount the possibility that even without the armed insurgents now in Bohol, some would use intimidation to exact money.
This too as the civil society here through the PPOC has organized the coordinating council for Clean Honest Orderly and Peaeful Elections (CCCHOPE) at the provincial and municipal levels, reports Interior and local government provincial director Rustica Mascarinas.
CCCHOPE spreads election campaigns awareness and puts up safety mechanisms to lay the grounds for clean, honest orderly and peaceful elections.
The CCCHOPE has just finished with the covenant signing for a peaceful elections for provincial and city officials while the municipal covenant signing activities would be trickled soon. (PIA-Bohol)
