The number of potential areas of concern in Negros Oriental relative to the Barangay & Sangguniang Kabataan Elections has dropped to nine barangays from 27, a Commission on Elections official said Wednesday.
The adjustment was made after the recommendation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police during Monday’s meeting of the Provincial Joint Security Coordinating Center, said acting Negros Oriental Election Supervisor lawyer Eliseo Labaria.
The barangays tagged under the orange category are Trinidad in Guihulngan City, Tayak and Napacao in Siaton, Enrique Villanueva in Sibulan; and Nagbinlod, Milagrosa, Talalak and Buenavista in Sta. Catalina.
Under the yellow category is barangay Cabalayongan in Basay.
Before their latest meeting, the Security Coordinating Center had identified 26 barangays under the orange category out of the Province’s total 557 barangays.
The election areas of concern have four categories – green, yellow, orange, and red. Green is the least among these, with areas identified as “generally-peaceful and orderly with minimal security concerns”.
Yellow, on the other hand, refers to areas “with a history of election-related incidents in the last elections, and the possible employment of private/partisan armed groups”.
Orange refers to areas of “immediate concern with a serious armed threat, such as the presence of communist terrorist groups”.
Red category refers to areas of “grave concern” having all these factors.
“So far, not a single election-related incident has been reported yet in Negros Oriental, and let us hope the trend will continue as the Province is placed under Comelec control,” Labaria said.
He pointed out that while there is a security contingency plan for the Oct. 30 BSK polls in the Province, the situation could change anytime once the campaign period starts on Oct. 19. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)
