315 WV barangays in election watchlist
The Regional Joint Security Coordinating Council (RJSCC) has identified 315 barangays in Western Visayas as election watchlist areas (EWAs).
The RJSCC is composed of the Commission on Elections, the Police Regional Office 6, and the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division.
In their meeting yesterday, Election Regional Director Dennis Ausan said they agreed to place 89 of the 315 barangays under Category 1 while 226, under Category 2.
Category 1 means these barangays are under the election watchlist because of intense political rivalry.
An area is considered under Category 2 if there is an active presence of insurgents in the village.
Most of the 315 barangays are in Negros Occidental, with 126 villages identified as EWAs – 26 under Category 1 and 100 in Category 2.
Capiz follows with 77 barangays; Iloilo province, 75; Antique, 17; Aklan and Iloilo City, nine each; and Bacolod City, two.
No barangay in Guimaras province was placed under the election watchlist.
With 4,050 barangays in Western Visayas, the rate of barangays considered EWAs was pegged at 12.86 percent.
“In coming up with the list, we considered the history of the place, presence of insurgency, election related violence in the previous polls, and intense political rivalry,” Ausan said.
He said no area was recommended to be placed under the COMELEC control.
Meanwhile, Chief Supt. Cipriano Querol Jr., police regional director, said to ensure honest, orderly, and peaceful elections in the region, he has instructed his subordinate commanders to intensify the conduct of checkpoint operations and to strictly enforce the gun ban.
He said the police will also monitor the enforcement of the liquor ban from October 24 to 25.*
