By Joyce Pangco Pañares

THE Commission on Elections plans to put four more provinces, one city, and the conflict-torn town of Panamao in Sulu under its control following the poll body’s success in containing election-related violence in Abra.

Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos said the peace and order situation in Sulu, Kalinga, Masbate, Nueva Ecija and Puerto Princesa had prompted the poll body to study the possibility of putting these areas under its control.

Abalos said at least five towns in Kalinga were being considered poll “hot spots”—Pinukpuk, Pasil, Lubuagan, Tanudan and Tabuk— following the killing of gubernatorial candidate and incumbent Vice Gov. Rommel Diasen during the Holy Week.

Sulu has been included in the list of hot spots following the skirmishes between government troops and a renegade faction of the Moro National Liberation Front and Abu Sayyaf bandits.

“Right now, Sulu can already be considered a hot spot because of what has been happening there,” Abalos said.

Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento will fly to Sulu tomorrow to discuss with field officers there the relocation of some precincts in the town of Panamao.

But Sarmiento has been advised not to stay the night in the province considering the heavy fighting between the military and the splinter group of the Moro National Liberation Front led by Haber Malik.

“We expect that after this dialog, we would already be able to identify which precincts must be relocated and where,” Abalos said.

Only the province of Abra has been placed under Comelec control because of the warring camps of incumbent Gov. Vicente Valera, who is fielding his wife to replace him, and Eustaquio Bersamin, brother of slain Abra Rep. Luis Bersamin.

Abalos, as officer-in-charge of the province, has already declared a total gun ban in an attempt to thwart election-related violence that could be started by any of the 13 private armies operating in Abra.

The heavy fighting in the town of Panamao in Sulu, which has more than a hundred poll precincts, has directly affected more than 8,000 residents there.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. had earlier warned that the clashes could prevent the holding of the May 14 elections in that southern province.

Pimentel said the outbreak of hostilities was unexpected and very unfortunate because detained MNLF leader Nur Misuari, who has already distanced himself from Malik’s camp, was running for governor of Sulu.

The fighting in Panamao has already left 18 people dead, including two Marines and a civilian. The Abu Sayyaf beheaded seven construction workers after failing to get their P5-million ransom demand from the local government of Sulu.