At least 21 provinces and 558 cities and towns have been identified as potential "hot spots" during the campaign period leading to the congressional and local elections on May 14.

President Arroyo told reporters this assessment of the Philippine National Police (PNP) was relayed to her during yesterday’s Cabinet meeting.

"In fact, that (hot spots) was the subject matter of Item No. 1 in our Cabinet meeting today," she said. "What they (PNP) will do in order to promote honest and orderly, peaceful elections."

Acting PNP chief Deputy Director General Leandro Mendoza, who had briefed Mrs. Arroyo on the situation, told The STAR yesterday he had ordered the various regional and provincial police directors to disband "partisan armed groups" (PAGs), or private armies, within their jurisdictions in less than a month.

"You have up to the end of this month to clear your respective areas of these PAGs," he said. "Otherwise, you will fail in (ensuring) honest, orderly and peaceful elections (HOPE) and your careers will suffer."

Mendoza said a total of 4,918 men carrying 3,427 firearms make up the 91 "partisan armed groups" all over the country, which are mostly deployed in Mindanao.

"(All) PNP units have been instructed to closely monitor the activities of these armed groups and thwart any attempt of possible poll violence," he said. "There shall be no sacred cows in this noble crusade for an end to all forms of election violence."

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has urged the PNP and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to "neutralize" the private armies of politicians before the elections.

Belmonte, who is a candidate for mayor of Quezon City, said the presence of private armies discourages free debate on issues during the campaign period.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina Jr. told reporters yesterday the PNP classifies a province, city or town as a "hot spot" based on the following categories:

• Occurrence of election-related violence.

• Intense partisan political rivalry.

• Fifty percent of barangays are rebel-infested.

Lina said a province is categorized as an "area of immediate concern" (AIC) if any of these situations is present and that the province will be placed under tight police watch.

Lina said the following provinces are categorized as AIC: Abra, Agusan del Norte, Albay, Bulacan, Davao Oriental, Isabela, North Cotabato, Northern Samar, Sorsogon, and Surigao del Sur.

Among the 21 cities and towns classified as AIC are Butuan City, Laoag City, and Legazpi City, he added.

Lina said the following provinces are classified as "areas of concern": Aklan, Cavite, Eastern Samar, Kalinga-Apayao, Maguindanao, Marinduque, Masbate, Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Nueva Ecija, and Romblon. –Marichu Villanueva, Christina Mendez

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Last Updated: Monday, May 14, 2001 06:24:36 AM