AUTHORITIES have modified the classification of election watchlist areas (Ewas) with the use of color coding system for easier identification of areas of concern and mapping.
Police Regional Office (PRO)-Davao Region spokesperson Police Chief Inspector Jason Baria said that unlike in previous elections where they used Categories 1, 2, 3 and 4, this upcoming election will have colors green, yellow, orange and red as indicators on the degrees of election-related violence in a certain area as agreed during the regional coordinating conference with Commission on Election (Comelec).
Areas in category green do not have security concern or relatively peaceful and orderly while category yellow refers to an area with occurrence of suspected election incidents (ERI)in the last two elections provided there were no participation of domestic threat groups; existence of intense political rivalry with no participation of domestic terror groups; possible employment of partisan armed group by the candidates in the area; occurrence of politically motivated ERI in the current election period provided there is no participation of domestic threat groups or; The area has been previously declared under Comelec control.
In category orange, areas have any of the following factors: combination of two or more factors under category yellow; or there is serious armed threat posed by the NPA, BIFF, ASG and rogue elements of MNLF, MILF and other analogous groups.
The category red, meanwhile, refers to an area with the existence of one or more factors described under category yellow along with serious armed threats posed by the NPA, BIFF and rogue elements of the MNLF, MILF and other analogous groups.
Overall, in Davao Region, there are a total of 823 barangays under category green, 233 in orange, 86 in yellow and 13 under red.
For each city and provincial offices, in Davao City Police Office (DCPO) green (143), orange (39); Davao del Sur Provincial Police Office (DSCPPO) green (63), orange (132), yellow (17), red (13); Davao Occidental PPO green (97), orange (7), yellow (1); Davao del Norte green (186), orange (37); Davao Oriental PPO green (165), orange (18); and Compostela Valley green (169), yellow (68).