Comelec holds first meeting with law enforcers
Just like in previous voting, election fever in Western Visayas is very much in a handy level.
This, according to Commission on Elections (Comelec) regional director Atty. Dennis Ausan following its first ever meeting with representatives from law enforcement agencies yesterday at Camp Delgado, Iloilo City.
Law enforcers were spearheaded by Police Regional Office (PRO) VI led by Chief Supt. Isagani Cuevas and the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division headed by Maj. Gen. Vicente Porto.
For their first conference, not much was talked about except that “it was just a matter of fine tuning certain concerns and procedures, especially on the functions of the Regional Joint Security Control Center (R-JSCC),” Ausan said.
The group also discussed the guidelines and instructions on the conduct and establishment of checkpoints.
On the briefing on the peace and order situation of the region from both AFP and PNP, Ausan said that “it is still much the same, just like in the previous election. Region VI is one of the peaceful regions, if not the peaceful region, when it comes to elections, as compared to other areas in the country.”
The meeting also came up with the watchlist of election areas of concern.
But Ausan allayed any misconception about the watchlist claiming that it is just a list of areas to be watched and for them to have a closer monitoring of the place.
“But I have to go over it. The number might even be reduced because of some modifications,” he claimed.
Earlier, PRO-6 considered forty-eight towns and component cities as election watchlist of areas of concern in Western Visayas.
Cuevas classified 25 of the 48 barangays to be belonging to category 1 while the remaining 23 are deemed to be under category 2.
He explained that an area is considered Category 1 if it has high possibility of election-related violent incidents (ERVI) while those at Category 2 are areas with history of ERVIs, intense political rivalries and active movement of armed rebels.
Iloilo province topped the list of EWAC with 16.
Negros Occidental followed with 10; Antique with 8; Aklan with 7; Capiz with 5; and Guimaras with 2.
In Aklan, the municipalities of Banga, Batan, Buruanga, Ibajay, Kalibo, Malinao, and New Washington are considered as EWAC. They all belong to Category 1.
In Antique, deemed as election hotpots are Anini-y, Barbaza, Libertad, Lauaan, Valderama, and TIbiao that belonged to Category 1; and San Remegio and Sibalom in Category 2.
Capiz province has Pilar and Pres. Roxas towns in Category 1 of EWAC and Tapaz, Cuartero, and Maayon in Category 2.
In Iloilo province, elections hotspots that are regarded as Category 1 are Anilao, Dueñas, Estancia, Maasin, Passi City, San Enrique, and Tigbauan.
Category 2 areas are Bingawan, Calinog, Guimbal, Igbaras, Lambunao, Leon, Miag-ao, Tubungan, and San Joaquin.
In Guimaras province, Nueva Valencia and San Lorenzo towns were named EWAC under Category 1.
Only the town of Pulupandan in Negros Occidental was considered as election hotspot under Category 1.
Since the province is known for the presence of rebels, the remaining EWAC are on Category 2 such as Candoni, Escalante, Sipalay, Himamaylan, Cadiz City, Silay City, Victorias City, Sagay City, and Moises Padilla.
