181 RP towns consistent election hotspots

On April 1, Freddie Boy Quidato, mayoral candidate in Placer, Masbate, and two of his supporters were walking on Sitio Bugtong at Cauayan village when a group of some 20 armed men sprayed them with bullets. Quidato survived the attack unhurt. His supporters, Tod Nonoy Duan and Toto Juanico, were not as lucky.

A few days later, national police records show that Alfredo Yuson, a supporter of another Masbate mayoral bet, allegedly killed in an ambush two supporters of a rival candidate.

Violence is not new in the province of Masbate. Its political history has left a trail of blood in recent years: Three Espinosas, all elected public officials, have been killed in over a decade. The Espinosas have been rulers of Masbate for almost half a century.

Police statistics show that election-related incidents have claimed at least 25 lives in Masbate since the 2001 polls. A recent GMA News Research study finds that all but three towns and cities in Masbate have been consistent hotspots in the last three elections.

Masbate, however, is not an isolated case. GMA News Research finds 181 cities and towns in the country are consistent hotspots since 2001. (see complete table)

Hotspots are areas considered election areas of concern (EAC) and election areas of immediate concern (EIAC). The police define EAIC as cities or municipalities where election-related violence are highly expected to occur. EAC are towns where election-related violence are likely to occur or where election-related offenses were committed during the previous elections.

Eighteen of these towns are in Masbate: Arroyo, Baleno, Balud, Batuan, Cataingan, Cawayan, City Of Masbate, Claveria, Dimasalang, Mobo, Monreal, Palanas, Pio V. Corpuz (Limbuhan), Placer, San Fernando, San Jacinto, San Pascual, and Uson.

Meanwhile, Abra, province of killed Rep. Luis Bersamin, is another regular hotspot. Ten of its 27 towns are consistent hotspots. It was declared under the control of the Commission on Elections this year. In the 2004 elections, four towns in this province were also declared under Comelec control: Bangued, Danglas, La Paz and Tineg.

In Nueva Ecija, 17 out of 32 towns are hotspots. Jaen town, where violence also erupted and claimed lives this year, is among the 17.

Half of the towns in Lanao del Sur are also consistent hotspots in the national elections from 2001 to 2007. This year, elections failed to push through in 17 towns due to threats of violence.

In Cagayan, 16 out of 29 towns in are consistent hotspots.

Table 1. Consistent election hotspots

Municipality		Province	Region
1	Bangued	Abra	CAR
2	Boliney	Abra	CAR
3	Danglas	Abra	CAR
4	Dolores	Abra	CAR
5	Lacub	Abra	CAR
6	Lagayan	Abra	CAR
7	Langiden	Abra	CAR
8	Malibcong	Abra	CAR
9	Tayum	Abra	CAR
10	Tubo	Abra	CAR
11	Trento	Agusan Del Sur	XIII
12	City Of Ligao	Albay	V
13	Jovellar	Albay	V
14	Libon	Albay	V
15	Pio Duran	Albay	V
16	Casiguran	Aurora	III
17	Dipaculao	Aurora	III
18	Sumisip	Basilan	ARMM
19	Batangas City	Batangas	IV-A
20	Tuy	Batangas	IV-A
21	Amulung	Cagayan	II
22	Buguey	Cagayan	II
23	Claveria	Cagayan	II
24	Enrile	Cagayan	II
25	Gattaran	Cagayan	II
26	Gonzaga	Cagayan	II
27	Iguig	Cagayan	II
28	Lal-Lo	Cagayan	II
29	Lasam	Cagayan	II
30	Peñablanca	Cagayan	II
31	Piat	Cagayan	II
32	Rizal	Cagayan	II
33	Santa Teresita	Cagayan	II
34	Santo Niño (Faire)	Cagayan	II
35	Tuao	Cagayan	II
36	Tuguegarao City	Cagayan	II
37	Jose Panganiban	Camarines Norte	V
38	Labo	Camarines Norte	V
39	San Lorenzo Ruiz (Imelda)	Camarines Norte	V
40	Santa Elena	Camarines Norte	V
41	Buhi	Camarines Sur	V
42	Sagnay	Camarines Sur	V
43	Mambajao	Camiguin	X
44	Bagamanoc	Catanduanes	V
45	Gigmoto	Catanduanes	V
46	Carmona	Cavite	IV-A
47	Maco	Compostela Valley	XI
48	Mawab	Compostela Valley	XI
49	New Corella	Davao Del Norte	XI
50	Talaingod	Davao Del Norte	XI
51	Don Marcelino	Davao Del Sur	XI
52	Baganga	Davao Oriental	XI
53	Caraga	Davao Oriental	XI
54	Governor Generoso	Davao Oriental	XI
55	Lupon	Davao Oriental	XI
56	Manay	Davao Oriental	XI
57	Mati	Davao Oriental	XI
58	San Isidro	Davao Oriental	XI
59	Tarragona	Davao Oriental	XI
60	Can-Avid	Eastern Samar	VIII
61	Dingras	Ilocos Norte	I
62	Laoag City	Ilocos Norte	I
63	Cabugao	Ilocos Sur	I
64	Alicia	Isabela	II
65	Angadanan	Isabela	II
66	Delfin Albano (Magsaysay)	Isabela	II
67	Ilagan	Isabela	II
68	Mallig	Isabela	II
69	San Pablo	Isabela	II
70	Lubuagan	Kalinga	CAR
71	Pasil	Kalinga	CAR
72	Pinukpuk	Kalinga	CAR
73	Tanudan	Kalinga	CAR
74	Tinglayan	Kalinga	CAR
75	Kauswagan	Lanao Del Norte	X
76	Munai	Lanao Del Norte	X
77	Bacolod-Kalawi (Bacolod Grande)	Lanao Del Sur	ARMM
78	Balabagan	Lanao Del Sur	ARMM
79	Bayang	Lanao Del Sur	ARMM
80	Binidayan	Lanao Del Sur	ARMM
81	Butig	Lanao Del Sur	ARMM
82	Calanogas	Lanao Del Sur	ARMM
83	Ganassi	Lanao Del Sur	ARMM
84	Kapai	Lanao Del Sur	ARMM
85	Lumba-Bayabao (Maguing)	Lanao Del Sur	ARMM
86	Madamba	Lanao Del Sur	ARMM
87	Malabang	Lanao Del Sur	ARMM
88	Masiu	Lanao Del Sur	ARMM
89	Mulondo	Lanao Del Sur	ARMM
90	Pagayawan	Lanao Del Sur	ARMM
91	Piagapo	Lanao Del Sur	ARMM
92	Poona Bayabao (Gata)	Lanao Del Sur	ARMM
93	Pualas	Lanao Del Sur	ARMM
94	Saguiaran	Lanao Del Sur	ARMM
95	Sultan Gumander	Lanao Del Sur	ARMM
96	Tugaya	Lanao Del Sur	ARMM
97	Sultan Kudarat (Nuling)	Maguindanao	ARMM
98	Aroroy	Masbate	V
99	Baleno	Masbate	V
100	Balud	Masbate	V
101	Batuan	Masbate	V
102	Cataingan	Masbate	V
103	Cawayan	Masbate	V
104	City Of Masbate	Masbate	V
105	Claveria	Masbate	V
106	Dimasalang	Masbate	V
107	Mobo	Masbate	V
108	Monreal	Masbate	V
109	Palanas	Masbate	V
110	Pio V. Corpuz (Limbuhan)	Masbate	V
111	Placer	Masbate	V
112	San Fernando	Masbate	V
113	San Jacinto	Masbate	V
114	San Pascual	Masbate	V
115	Uson	Masbate	V
116	Baliangao	Misamis Occidental	X
117	Clarin	Misamis Occidental	X
118	Sapang Dalaga	Misamis Occidental	X
119	Lagonglong	Misamis Oriental	X
120	Arakan	North Cotabato	XII
121	Banisilan	North Cotabato	XII
122	Carmen	North Cotabato	XII
123	Kabacan	North Cotabato	XII
124	Midsayap	North Cotabato	XII
125	M'lang	North Cotabato	XII
126	Pigkawayan	North Cotabato	XII
127	Pikit	North Cotabato	XII
128	Tulunan	North Cotabato	XII
129	Lope De Vega	Northern Samar	VIII
130	Silvino Lobos	Northern Samar	VIII
131	Cabanatuan City	Nueva Ecija	III
132	Carranglan	Nueva Ecija	III
133	Gabaldon (Bitulok & Sabani)	Nueva Ecija	III
134	Gapan	Nueva Ecija	III
135	General Mamerto Natividad	Nueva Ecija	III
136	Guimba	Nueva Ecija	III
137	Jaen	Nueva Ecija	III
138	Lupao	Nueva Ecija	III
139	Nampicuan	Nueva Ecija	III
140	Palayan City	Nueva Ecija	III
141	Pantabangan	Nueva Ecija	III
142	Quezon	Nueva Ecija	III
143	Rizal	Nueva Ecija	III
144	San Isidro	Nueva Ecija	III
145	San Jose City	Nueva Ecija	III
146	Santa Rosa	Nueva Ecija	III
147	Santo Domingo	Nueva Ecija	III
148	Calintaan	Occidental Mindoro	IV-B
149	Sablayan	Occidental Mindoro	IV-B
150	Sablayan	Occidental Mindoro	IV-B
151	Sablayan	Occidental Mindoro	IV-B
152	Santa Cruz	Occidental Mindoro	IV-B
153	Bansud	Oriental Mindoro	IV-B
154	Gloria	Oriental Mindoro	IV-B
155	San Carlos City	Pangasinan	I
156	Pagbilao	Quezon	IV-A
157	City Of Antipolo	Rizal	IV-A
158	Calbayog City	Samar (Western Samar)	VIII
159	Matuguinao	Samar (Western Samar)	VIII
160	San Jorge	Samar (Western Samar)	VIII
161	San Jose De Buan	Samar (Western Samar)	VIII
162	Santa Margarita	Samar (Western Samar)	VIII
163	Tarangnan	Samar (Western Samar)	VIII
164	Bacon	Sorsogon	V
165	Castilla	Sorsogon	V
166	City Of Sorsogon	Sorsogon	V
167	Matnog	Sorsogon	V
168	Santa Magdalena	Sorsogon	V
169	Columbio	Sultan Kudarat	XII
170	Siasi	Sulu	ARMM
171	Siasi	Sulu	ARMM
172	Lingig	Surigao Del Sur	XIII
173	La Paz	Tarlac	III
174	Kalawit	Zamboanga Del Norte	IX
175	La Libertad	Zamboanga Del Norte	IX
176	Sibuco	Zamboanga Del Norte	IX
177	Sirawai	Zamboanga Del Norte	IX
178	Dimataling	Zamboanga Del Sur	IX
179	Josefina	Zamboanga Del Sur	IX
180	Kumalarang	Zamboanga Del Sur	IX
181	Tabina	Zamboanga Del Sur	IX
Source: Philippine National Police, Commission on Elections