Catholic bishops on Thursday issued a prayer to be recited by churchgoers for village and youth council elections set on May 14. In Southern Mindanao, President Duterte’s home region, the number of villages tagged as hot spots had grown, according to police. ADVERTISEMENTAt least 241 villages in Southern Mindanao were identified as areas of concern because of the presence of communist guerrillas. Davao City had 54 villages on the list, Davao del Norte had 50, Davao del Sur had 39, Davao Oriental had 27 and Davao Occidental had three. In Davao City, police said areas of concern were those in districts where New People’s Army (NPA) operates—Paquibato, Mailog and Baguio.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer May 03, 2018 23:37 UTC