PNP tags 7 areas as hotspots in Pangasinan

Citing the likelihood of election-related violence there, the Philippine National Police has placed at least seven areas in Pangasinan as election areas of concern in the northern Philippine province. Sun-Star Pangasinan reported Thursday that the PNP based its recommendation on the high level of violence that marred the areas in the 2004 elections. Tagged as election hotspots were the towns of Natividad, Tayug, Binmaley, Bugallon, San Nicolas, San Manuel and the city of San Carlos. Pangasinan police provincial director Senior Superintendent Isagani Nerez said Natividad is included in the list of election areas of concern due to the strafing on Nov. 9, 2003 of the house of municipal election officer Rodolfo Ruiz and his assassination on March 9, 2004. Intense political partisan political rivalry among the mayoral candidates there was also noted. Authorities cited the fatal shooting of SPO4 Hidalgo Palisoc in San Carlos City on April 9, 2004. Palisoc was a security escort of then re-electionist third district Rep. Generoso Tulagan. There is also intense political partisan rivalry among local candidates there. In Tayug, the house of barangay councilman Mario Fernandez was strafed on April 9, 2004 while the house of Roberto Ramirez, supporter of then mayoralty candidate Guerrero Zaragoza was peppered with bullets on April 13, 2004. There were two incidents that transpired in the last elections which led to the inclusion in the list of Bugallon town. On Nov. 27, 2003, Vice Mayor Ernesto Mata and his and his companions were ambushed in Barangay Umandan, Bugallon. On Jan. 9, 2004, Mata, then running as mayor, and four of his his partymates received death threats. Nerez said the towns of Binmaley, San Nicolas and San Manuel also landed in the list due to intense political partisan rivalry among the mayoralty candidates. - GMANews.TV