Two days ahead of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on May 14, the Philippine National Police announced Friday that the number of election hotspots in Negros Oriental has increased compared to last week’s figure.
From 73 barangays, the number of election hotspots in Negros Oriental is now pegged at 90, based on figures from the Regional Joint Security Coordinating Council in Region said, disclosed newly named acting provincial police director Sr. Supt. Raul Tacaca.
He further disclosed that this was discussed during a final conference of the Provincial Joint Security Coordinating Council Friday morning, headed by lawyer Eddie Aba, provincial election supervisor of the Commission on Elections here.
Last week, the PJSCC, composed of the Comelec, the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, among others, disclosed that 73 barangays in 17 towns and cities in Negros Oriental were tagged as potential election hotspots, formerly known as election watchlist areas.
But the number rose to 90 barangays as of Friday, said Tacaca.
“Yung latest naming nasa 90 na based on the categories na binigay ng Comelec,” he disclosed.
While not being specific as to where these additional barangays are, Tacaca said that the additional election hotspots are still in the 17 towns and cities previously mentioned.
Comelec’s provincial election supervisor lawyer Eddie Aba last week announced during a coordinating meeting of the Diocesan Electoral Board of the Diocese of Dumaguete that the number of election hotspots could still change, depending on recommendations from the PNP and the AFP.
Guihulngan City in the northern part of the Province has the highest number of barangays tagged as hotspots.
Meanwhile, a formal send-off ceremony was held Friday morning for hundreds of government security forces that will be deployed for election duty on Monday.
The send-off ceremony at the Negros Oriental PNP Provincial Office in Camp Fernandez, Agan-an in nearby Sibulan town kicked off with a Eucharistic celebration.
Sr. Supt. Tacaca disclosed that the police personnel, to be augmented by Philippine Army troopers, will be deployed starting Saturday but will report to the polling places assigned them first hour Monday morning, together with the teachers who will be manning the voting precincts.
He assured that there will be enough police personnel to man the police stations and carry out the usual police functions as there will be augmentation on election day.
Sr. Supt. Tacaca assumed office in lieu of Sr. Supt. Edwin Portento upon arrival here Friday, following a simple turnover of command ceremony Thursday at the PNP Regional Office 7 in Camp Sergio Osmeña, Cebu City.
The Police Director said he hopes that Monday’s electoral exercise will be peaceful and orderly even as the PRO-7 has tagged Negros Oriental as the priority area in terms of security in the Central Visayas region. (Judy Flores Partlow/PNA)
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