• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Provincial Joint Security Coordinating Center (PJSCC) in Negros Occidental will convene on Jan. 11 to assess the peace and order situation of the province ahead of the May 12 national and local elections.
The start of the election period on Jan. 12 will also signal the kick-off of the gun ban, which will run until June 11 this year.
Based on the Commission of Elections (Comelec) calendar, the 90-day campaign period for national candidates, including senators and party-lists, will be on Feb. 11 to May 10.
Local candidates will have 45 days to campaign from March 28 to May 10.
The Comelec is expected to adopt a color-coding system in identifying hotspots in the upcoming elections such as green for no cause of concern; yellow, if it has history of political unrest; orange, which indicates the presence of armed groups; and red, for those deemed as critical areas.
Provincial Elections Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria said that Negros Occidental remains in code “green”.
The PJSCC is composed of the Comelec, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, and the Philippine Coast Guard. | GB
