• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental is still under the green category or an area without election-related security concerns, police provincial director PCol. Rainerio de Chavez said on Tuesday (Jan. 28).
However, the central office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) earlier identified Cauayan, Calatrava, Isabela and San Enrique towns and Sipalay City in Negros Occidental as “areas of concerns” for the May 12 national and local elections.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) employs a four-tier color-coded system to classify election concerns such as yellow category (areas with history of election-related incidents), orange category (areas with serious armed threats), red category (areas with serious armed threats and history of election-related incidents), and green category (areas without election-related security concerns).
De Chavez said the Provincial Joint Security Coordinating Center will soon a hold meeting to re-assess the peace and order situation of the province for the incoming synchronized elections.
He added that the PNP is expecting that the elections in Negros Occidental will be peaceful and orderly as they have not monitored any existence of private armed groups (PAGs) in the province.
“All the PAGs before had already been disbanded,” De Chavez said, adding that they will adjust their security measures, if necessary.
In compliance with the directive of Camp Crame, the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) spearheaded the signing of peace covenants among candidates, which started in Valladolid town, and will be replicated in other local government units.
Meanwhile, the implementation of the Comelec gun ban and campaign against loose firearms led to the arrest of 10 violators in Negros Occidental since the start of the election period on Jan. 12.
Pending issuance of the implementing rules and regulations for the creation of the Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region, the NOCPPO remains under the supervision of the Police Regional Office-Western Visayas. | GB
