THE Police Regional Office (PRO) in Western Visayas has identified more areas in Negros Occidental as "election hotspots" in the coming national and local elections on May 9, 2022.
Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) Spokesperson Police Lieutenant Abegael Donasco said three areas in the province are placed under the "red category" or areas of grave concern.
Fourteen others are under the "orange category" or areas of immediate concern and one under the "yellow category" or area of concern.
Donasco said the three areas under the "red category" are being heavily monitored due to intense political rivalry and the potential presence of private armed groups and communist insurgents.
In response to PRO-Western Visayas' findings, Donasco said they will set up the Commission on Elections (Comelec) checkpoints in the three areas under "red category" in order to intercept gun ban violators and maintain their security for the elections.
As of now, Donasco said they have not recorded any atrocities in the red areas and their intelligence units have not monitored any extortion activities either.
She did not disclose the additional areas.
But Acting Comelec Provincial Supervisor lawyer Roberto Salazar earlier identified 12 areas that are considered as areas of concern.
He identified the local government units (LGUs) based on the available parameters and set them in three categories.
Under category 1 areas of concern based on Comelec guidelines are those that have intense political rivalry and have a history of election-related violence.
For category 2, these are areas of immediate concern due to the presence of private armed groups or communist insurgent groups, while category 3 are areas of grave concern which have a combination of the first two first categories.
Salazar said the town of Don Salvador Benedicto is under category 1 while the towns of Manapla, Toboso, Binalbagan, Hinoba-an, and the cities of Silay, Victorias, Himamaylan, and Kabankalan are category 2.
Under Category 3, on the other hand, are the towns of Candoni and Moises Padilla, and Escalante City.
Salazar also clarified that the Comelec is not the one that identifies the areas of concern.
It falls under the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines.
These agencies are giving their recommendation being submitted before the Regional Joint Security Control Center in Western Visayas, which is headed by the Comelec regional director, PRO-Western Visayas director, and commander of the Philippine Army's 3rd Infantry Division.