A non-government organization based in the Ilocos region urged the Commission on Elections to include La Union province in its list of areas of concern to ensure the conduct of peaceful elections on May 9.
The group Crusaders for Peace asked Comelec and the Philippine National Police to deploy more security personnel in La Union in the run-up to the May 9 national and local elections given the history of political violence and recent reports of armed men spotted in the province.
“We ask Comelec and the PNP to declare La Union among the areas of concern to prevent further loss of lives, violence and intimidation during the election and campaign period,” Crusaders for Peace said in a statement.
The Comelec adopted a list of color-coded areas of concern, in place of the previously tagged election hotspots, based on the recommendation of the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The Comelec has yet to release the list.
An area will be tagged green if it has no security concern; yellow for area of concern; orange for area of immediate concern; and red for area of grave concern. Areas of concern will be placed under Comelec control, with the support of the PNP and AFP.
The PNP earlier submitted a list of around 100 municipalities and 14 cities to be placed under the red category for the May 9 elections.
The Crusaders for Peace said placing La Union under Comelec control will avert political violence that gripped the province in 2018, many cases of which remain unresolved to this day.
The group said authorities have yet to arrest the perpetrators of the 2018 slaying of former Second District Rep. Franny Eriguel on May 12.
Eriguel and his two companions were attacked by armed assailants on the eve of May 12, 2018 during a political rally for village officers in Barangay Capas in Agoo town.
Eriguel sustained eight gunshot wounds on his head, chest, arm, and leg.
Eriguel’s death started a string of high-profile killings in the province, with Sudipen Mayor Alexander Buquing being killed along with his security escort in October, and Balaoan Vice Mayor Alfred Concepcion in November. Concepcion’s daughter, Mayor Aleli Concepcion, was also wounded in the same incident.
“To avoid more violence as the election approaches, we hope that government security forces will be deployed in La Union to protect lives and ensure the conduct of peaceful elections,” the group said.
Last year, La Union police also uncovered a plot to assassinate Rep. Sandra Eriguel, widow of Rep. Franny Eriguel, following the arrest of several members of an assassination squad.