THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Negros Occidental is now 80 percent ready for the May 13 elections.
Atty. Tictac Villanueva, provincial election supervisor, said that election paraphernalia have already started to arrive in the province since last week including the 2,500 vote counting machines (VCMs) that will be used in the province. The number of VCMs already include spares in case trouble will be encountered in the precincts.
Villanueva said schools that will serve as voting places are also ready, including the security plan and personnel to escort election officers for the transport of election materials.
Villanueva added that the Army and the Philippine National Police are closely monitoring Moises Padilla and already deployed personnel in the area to make sure that the voters could freely exercise their rights to vote.
The Regional Joint Security Control Center (RJSCC) has signed a resolution, early this week, recommending to place the town of Moises Padilla under the control of the Comelec.
Based on a statement forwarded by PRO-Western Visayas spokesperson Police Lieutenant Col. Joem Malong, the two recent violent incidents involving candidates and the presence of the New People’s Army (NPA) poses danger in the peaceful conduct of the 2019 midterm elections.
Under RJSCC Resolution No. 02-2019, they recommended to the Comelec en banc that the town be placed under Comelec control to be supervised by the Moises Padilla Task Force which composes of representatives from the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the Comelec itself.
It was further explained that a town or city could be placed under Comelec control if there is a history of intense political rivalry, violence employed by private armed groups, and serious threats posed by terror groups.
Once approved by the Comelec en banc, the entire police personnel of Moises Padilla will be reshuffled and require the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to look into the existence of private armed groups and prevent or suppress any acts of terrorism.
The DILG will also be given authority by the Comelec to appoint any local government official to act as the officer-in-charge.
During the period, the PNP and the AFP will provide personnel, equipment, vehicles and other transportation facilities as the CBSFP requires.
An area could be placed under Comelec control for the entire election period.