Dateline Iligan. ILIGAN NOT AN AREA OF CONCERN - COMELEC
By Frank E. Dosdos, Jr.
It is very remote for Iligan to be declared an “area of concern” in the 2016 Elections.
This was the assessment of Commission on Election Regional Director Atty. Renato A. Magbutay during the Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Council Conference with the military and the police in Lanao del Norte held at the Headquarters of the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade In Maria Cristina, this City, November 18.
Magbutay made the assessment even as there were observations that political trouble disturbed Iligan recently due to the confusion as to who was the rightful Mayor here.
“What happened in Iligan was way before the election. It was an offshoot of the judiciary system and he DILG for coming up with a suspension order which is one of the reasons of the commotion,” Magbutay told newsmen.
He also told newsmen that the COMELEC has a criteria to follow in placing a locality in the category of an “area of concern” or “under COMELEC conrol”: 1) is the political history of the place or if the place had violence or violation in the past elections; 2) the presence of armed groups or insurgents; and 3) the seriousness of the political fight or intense political rivalry.
“At present,” Magbutay said, “the situation cannot be considered serious political fight here in Iligan because what is happening are all under the legal processes.”
What is happening is not also alarming, he said.
Acting Mayor Marzo had earlier declared that despite what happened last month, peace and order will continue to reign in Iligan until the elections next year.
The New Ranao Star
It is very remote for Iligan to be declared an “area of concern” in the 2016 Elections.
This was the assessment of Commission on Election Regional Director Atty. Renato A. Magbutay during the Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Council Conference with the military and the police in Lanao del Norte held at the Headquarters of the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade In Maria Cristina, this City, November 18.
Magbutay made the assessment even as there were observations that political trouble disturbed Iligan recently due to the confusion as to who was the rightful Mayor here.
“What happened in Iligan was way before the election. It was an offshoot of the judiciary system and he DILG for coming up with a suspension order which is one of the reasons of the commotion,” Magbutay told newsmen.
He also told newsmen that the COMELEC has a criteria to follow in placing a locality in the category of an “area of concern” or “under COMELEC conrol”: 1) is the political history of the place or if the place had violence or violation in the past elections; 2) the presence of armed groups or insurgents; and 3) the seriousness of the political fight or intense political rivalry.
“At present,” Magbutay said, “the situation cannot be considered serious political fight here in Iligan because what is happening are all under the legal processes.”
What is happening is not also alarming, he said.
Acting Mayor Marzo had earlier declared that despite what happened last month, peace and order will continue to reign in Iligan until the elections next year.
The New Ranao Star
