FilAmNation
3/30/2010

The Philippine National Police (PNP) want to place under the list of election hot spots seven key cities in Metro Manila, a high-ranking police official revealed on Monday.

Police Director Roberto Rosales, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), told reporters that their assessment of the seven cities showed that the contest for the local positions up for grabs on May 10 would result be intense and could result in violence.

“It is not yet final [listing the cities as hotspots] and we are still conducting continuous assessment,” Rosales said adding that police intelligence reports could play a vital role in their recommendation that the seven cities under watch be placed under the control of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

“We had a survey in the cities here in Metro Manila, and those hotly contested, especially for the positions of mayor, vice mayor, and congressmen—and we were able to identify these cities,” Rosales said after attending the weekly flag-raising ceremonies at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame.

According to Rosales, the cities in Metro Manila that they are closely monitoring are Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Taguig, Makati, Pasay, Manila and Quezon City.

He explained that the seven cities are habitual areas of concern during the past elections because of the “intense political rivalry” for the local posts.

The PNP leadership earlier classified 571 cities and municipalities as election areas of concern and 118 of these are found in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) where Maguindanao is located.

Maguindanao gained notoriety for the massacre on November 23 of 58 people including 32 journalists allegedly perpetrated by Ampatuan clan of the province. Besides the journalists, those who were killed were supporters of a politician who intended to run against a younger Ampatuan for the governorship of Maguindanao.

BY SAMMY MARTIN Reporter

The Manila Times