THE number of areas identified as election hotspots for the 2019 midterm polls has increased to over 900, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Monday, March 25.
PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde said in a press briefing in Camp Crame that a total of 941 areas have been identified as election hotspots.
Of the figure, 131 towns and cities were placed under category yellow, 238 are classified as areas of immediate concern or under category orange, 570 are categorized as areas of grave concern or category red, and two areas were placed under the control of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Under Comelec control are Cotabato City and Daraga in Albay.
Cotabato City was placed under Comelec control due to the series of bombing incidents in the area, while in Daraga, AKO Bicol party-list Representative Rodel Batocabe was killed allegedly over political rivalry.
"Our focused police operations will be intensified against private armed groups, criminal gangs, wanted persons, gun for hire groups, loose firearms and violation of Comelec gun ban through service of warrant of arrest, implementation of search warrant, checkpoint operations, police patrol and response, and Oplan Sita/Bakal/Galudad including high value targets in illegal drugs," Albayalde said.
"Based on historical data of previous elections, election-related incidents resulting from intense political rivalry are expected to escalate during this period," he added.
The Comelec, PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines identify and classify election hotspots using the following system of classification: category green, category yellow, category orange and category red.
Category green refers to areas of no security concern and are relatively peaceful and orderly, while category yellow refers to areas with a history of election-related violence or the existence of intense partisan political rivalry, but without the participation of domestic terror groups.
Areas under category orange have the conditions set in category yellow, but there is serious armed threats posed by domestic terror groups and other analogous armed groups.
Category red refers to areas where, while being under category orange, the existence of conditions that may constitute grounds for the declaration of Comelec control was declared by government agencies.
Areas under the red category exhibit the combined factors under the yellow and orange categories such that it may warrant the motu proprio declaration of Comelec control.
Earlier, the Comelec placed the entire Mindanao Island group, as well as Jones in Isabela, Lope de Vega in Northern Samar, and the entire province of Abra under category red.
Albayalde said there will be adjustments in the deployment of police forces in the areas recently placed under red category.
"Of course, there will be a realignment of our deployment with regards to this development... Usually, we do that ginagawa na natin yan but of course, ginagawa natin is mas marami 'yung dito sa NHQ (national headquarters). We deploy them to the different critical areas and we basically create at special operations task group," he said. (SunStar Philippines)