Bohol ‘generally peaceful’ amid political rivalries |

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February 8, 2010 “Generally peaceful” is how the military described Bohol, amid sightings of armed men and prevailing “black propaganda” and “character assassination” between political rivals. Major Orlando Sampayan of the Military Intelligence Group, however, reported during the joint meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council, Provincial Development Council and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on February 2 at the Bohol Tropics Resort that they had already monitored in the second and third districts what had been reported as mysterious personalities believed to be hired goons from Masbate, Bukidnon and Osamis. In his report, Sampayan placed this information under political situation, in addition to the assessment on the present situation that shows “political schemes and maneuvers observed in the province such as exchanging allegations of anomalies, black propaganda, and character assassination”. “The presence of unknown personalities allegedly coming from Masbate, Bukidnon, and Osamis is an indication that politics in Bohol is said to be volatile and explosive,” Sampayan said. On this, the military notes that “it is most likely that politicians may also be favored on the reported arrival or sightings of armed groups due to the incoming national and local elections”. It said the armed groups “continue to evade government troops because they don’t want to be compromised”. Col. Allan Luga, commander of the 802nd Brigade of the Philippine Army, reported that in the recent joint conference of the Commission on Elections, Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines at the Police Regional Office in Cebu, it was learned that Bohol has one Category 1 area which is Tagbilaran City. This was based on the ambush of Governor Erico Aumentado on February 13, 2004 and the anticipation of intense political rivalry in Tagbilaran City, citing the candidacy of Vice Mayor Jose Antonio Veloso for mayor against incumbent Mayor Dan Lim. The military also considers that Vice Mayor Veloso is the brother-in-law of 1st Dist. Rep. Edgar Chatto, whose publicists have been airing criticisms against the administration of Mayor Lim. Luga explained that classified as Category 1 are areas where there is high possibility of occurrence of politically motivated violent incidents - considering the occurrence of election-related violent incidents in the past two elections provided there was no participation of domestic terror groups. Other bases are the existence of intense partisan political rivalry with no participation of domestic terror groups, possible employment of partisan armed groups by the candidates in the area, and occurrence of politically-motivated ERVI in the current election period provided there is no participation of domestic terror groups. Classifed as Category 2 are areas where there are serious armed threats posed by the LCM, SPSGs and the like, based on available intelligence reports that suggest possible or actual occurrence of election-related violent incidents or the existence of intense partisan political climate caused by either the LCM or SPSG. An area or province will also be classified as Category 2 if it is under the area of operations of very active guerilla fronts of the LCM or the guerilla base commands/units of the SPSGs, and that at least 50 percent of the barangays are affected by communist terrorists and/or locations of the centers of gravity (COGs). On the poverty situation, Sampayan reported that based on the actual survey by different non-governmental organizations, “poverty situation in Bohol has been reduced gradually”. The concern is just on the report that most of the cooperatives awarded with financial assistance “did not operate properly and most of them were bankrupt”. These cooperatives organized to address poverty incidence and eventually solve insurgency, has been considered to be instrumental in sustaining the faith of former rebels in the government. The military’s community intelligence unit noted that the “reported arrival of armed groups is an indication that mass base of CPP/NPA/NDF still exists in the province”. Moreover, there had also been reports that since July 2009, unknown balikbayans or “Toristang Hukbo” have been arriving in the province, “especially in coastal areas of second and third districts”- -particularly in the towns of Ubay, Mabini and Anda. There had also been an increase in reported sightings of “armed groups traversing the inner barangays” most of them seen in the towns of Valencia, Alicia, Carmen, Danao, Dagohoy, Sagbayan, Trinidad, Talibon, Balilihan, Tubigon, Batuan, Bilar and Clarin.(AV)

February 8, 2010
“Generally peaceful” is how the military described Bohol, amid sightings of armed men and prevailing “black propaganda” and “character assassination” between political rivals.
Major Orlando Sampayan of the Military Intelligence Group, however, reported during the joint meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council, Provincial Development Council and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on February 2 at the Bohol Tropics Resort that they had already monitored in the second and third districts what had been reported as mysterious personalities believed to be hired goons from Masbate, Bukidnon and Osamis.
In his report, Sampayan placed this information under political situation, in addition to the assessment on the present situation that shows “political schemes and maneuvers observed in the province such as exchanging allegations of anomalies, black propaganda, and character assassination”.
“The presence of unknown personalities allegedly coming from Masbate, Bukidnon, and Osamis is an indication that politics in Bohol is said to be volatile and explosive,” Sampayan said.
On this, the military notes that “it is most likely that politicians may also be favored on the reported arrival or sightings of armed groups due to the incoming national and local elections”.
It said the armed groups “continue to evade government troops because they don’t want to be compromised”.
Col. Allan Luga, commander of the 802nd Brigade of the Philippine Army, reported that in the recent joint conference of the Commission on Elections, Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines at the Police Regional Office in Cebu, it was learned that Bohol has one Category 1 area which is Tagbilaran City.
This was based on the ambush of Governor Erico Aumentado on February 13, 2004 and the anticipation of intense political rivalry in Tagbilaran City, citing the candidacy of Vice Mayor Jose Antonio Veloso for mayor against incumbent Mayor Dan Lim.
The military also considers that Vice Mayor Veloso is the brother-in-law of 1st Dist. Rep. Edgar Chatto, whose publicists have been airing criticisms against the administration of Mayor Lim.
Luga explained that classified as Category 1 are areas where there is high possibility of occurrence of politically motivated violent incidents - considering the occurrence of election-related violent incidents in the past two elections provided there was no participation of domestic terror groups.
Other bases are the existence of intense partisan political rivalry with no participation of domestic terror groups, possible employment of partisan armed groups by the candidates in the area, and occurrence of politically-motivated ERVI in the current election period provided there is no participation of domestic terror groups.
Classifed as Category 2 are areas where there are serious armed threats posed by the LCM, SPSGs and the like, based on available intelligence reports that suggest possible or actual occurrence of election-related violent incidents or the existence of intense partisan political climate caused by either the LCM or SPSG.
An area or province will also be classified as Category 2 if it is under the area of operations of very active guerilla fronts of the LCM or the guerilla base commands/units of the SPSGs, and that at least 50 percent of the barangays are affected by communist terrorists and/or locations of the centers of gravity (COGs).
On the poverty situation, Sampayan reported that based on the actual survey by different non-governmental organizations, “poverty situation in Bohol has been reduced gradually”.
The concern is just on the report that most of the cooperatives awarded with financial assistance “did not operate properly and most of them were bankrupt”. These cooperatives organized to address poverty incidence and eventually solve insurgency, has been considered to be instrumental in sustaining the faith of former rebels in the government.
The military’s community intelligence unit noted that the “reported arrival of armed groups is an indication that mass base of CPP/NPA/NDF still exists in the province”. Moreover, there had also been reports that since July 2009, unknown balikbayans or

“Toristang Hukbo” have been arriving in the province, “especially in coastal areas of second and third districts”- -particularly in the towns of Ubay, Mabini and Anda.
There had also been an increase in reported sightings of “armed groups traversing the inner barangays” most of them seen in the towns of Valencia, Alicia, Carmen, Danao, Dagohoy, Sagbayan, Trinidad, Talibon, Balilihan, Tubigon, Batuan, Bilar and Clarin.(AV)

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