NO problems were encountered on the first day of the public consultations organized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) with the police and military on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, in Negros Oriental.
The meeting that will conclude on Thursday, June 29, will give the Negrenses the chance to determine whether or not to postpone the Barangay and Sanguniang Kabataan Election in October.
According to Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, the spokesperson of Police Regional Office (PRO 7), the meeting went smoothly.
The public consultations are in connection with the incident that happened on March 4, 2023, when Governor Roel Degamo was gunned down along with eight other civilians inside his residential compound in Pamplona town.
The public hearings are being held in the different local government units, attended by local government officials, election stakeholders and the general public.
PRO 7 Chief Brigadier General Anthony Aberin took the initiative to oversee the security so that the locals could participate and have their requests heard.
“People were telling out they voted or they participated in the activity, and we expect nga kining nga ingun ani ka malinawon nga activity mag padayon hangtod mahuman ug makita man sad ninyu (that this kind of peaceful activity will continue until it is finished and as you can see) no less than the Chief PNP (Philippine National Police) and the chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines visited during the start of the activity,” Sigun ni Pelare.
Pelare revealed that the situation in Negros Oriental has returned to normal after the bloody incident due to the presence of the police and army personnel.
“Yes everything is up to normal situation already although naa pa tay mga pwersa joint forces sa PNP and the AFP which is actually for the preparation of the barangay election. As we all know naa paman tay gipangita pa nga mga suspects sa recent incident kang Governor Degamo but as far as peace and security is concern everything is going back to normal,” according to Pelare. (AYB, TPT)