The Commission on Elections here announced the arrival Saturday of 968,872 ballots intended for the Barangay & Sangguniang Kabataan Elections in Negros Oriental.
The Police Provincial Office assured earlier on Thursday of tight security in the delivery of ballots to critical areas in the Province to ensure a successful conduct of the BSKE.
“We have informed the police stations and a composite Quick Reaction Team regarding the arrival of the ballots, and the delivery to the different towns and cities, and later on to the voting centers on the day of the election, or earlier,” said Lt. Stephen Polinar, NOPPO spokesperson and deputy chief of the Police Community Affairs & Development Unit.
From the port, the ballots were transferred Saturday to the official courier’s hub for segregation, before they will be delivered to their respective destinations.
The ballots for the cities will be delivered directly to their local government treasurers.
The ballots for the municipalities will be deposited at the Provincial Treasurer’s Office for pick-up.
The teachers will then bring the ballots to their respective voting centers on election day on Monday, Oct. 30, unless otherwise deemed necessary to be delivered earlier, for security reasons.
In areas with the presence of threat groups and individuals like the New People’s Army, the Philippine Army will be providing security alongside the Philippine National Police.
The poll body has placed under its control the entire province of Negros Oriental to prevent any election-related violence, as an offshoot of the March 4 assassination of Gov. Roel Degamo.
Polinar told the media that security measures are in place should the electoral exercise be compromised in a particular area.
At the same time, Polinar said the number of election watch list areas of concern in the Province is expected to change, based on events transpiring during the campaign period from Oct. 19 to 28.
For now, eight barangays have been placed under the Orange category (presence of threat groups), and one barangay in the Yellow category (with a history of election-related violence).
Meanwhile, hundreds of augmentation troops from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the PNP, and the Coast Guard were deployed on Wednesday to secure the elections in the Province.
Polinar said no untoward incident was reported in Negros Oriental on the first day of the campaign period. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)
