The police yesterday classified Pulupandan as an "area of concern" in the May 14 synchronized elections.

Negros Occidental police director Rosendo Franco said sightings of an armed group in Pulupandan was among the factors he considered in classifying the town as an "area of concern".

Signs of intense political rivalries between the families of Mayor Luis Mondia and landowner Magdaleno Peña, who reportedly is fielding a candidate in the Pulupandan mayoralty race, have been also noted by the police.

Franco debunked claims that the recent raid on a house in Pulupandan being rented by a group calling itself Crusade Against Monopoly and Massive Political Harassment was "politically-motivated".

"We did an operation to confirm if there are really armed men in the area, he said.

Franco said the raid on the house owned by retired Col. Elviro Lagrana, which is being rented by CAMMPH, was covered with a search warrant issued by Judge Francisco Rodriguez.

Lagrana is the father-in-law of Pulupandan mayoralty bet Samson Mondia.

Franco dismissed as baseless claims that an influential person was behind the raid.

CAMMPH spokesman Diego Malacad said they will file charges against policemen who staged a raid on its headquarters in Pulupandan and the person who acted as witness who led the court to issue a search warrant.

The raid which was jointly conducted by the Negros Occidental police Special Operations Group, assisted by operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, yielded negative results.

CAMMPH has been assisting Pulupandan residents who have received notices of ejection from Peña for allegedly squatting on his property and that of his family.

Franco said they are ready to answer complaints filed against them in court.*GPB

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