• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will push through with the polls in Kanlaon-affected areas on May 12 unless the volcano erupts on that day, Comelec- Negros Island Region (NIR) assistant regional director Jossil Macute said on Friday (May 9).
Should an eruption happen, Macute said the election could be possibly postponed to give way to the evacuation of more people as the permanent danger zone will be further expanded.
“It will be humanly impossible anymore to conduct an election on the same day,” he said.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported that Alert Level 3 remains hoisted over Kanlaon Volcano as it recorded another ash emission event that lasted for five minutes on Thursday.
“We are more concerned on the environmental and natural calamities rather than man-made problems that would arise during the election day,” Macute said.
The Comelec official attended the briefing at the Regional Election Monitoring Action Center (REMAC) at Camp Alfredo M. Montelibano Sr. in Bacolod City on Friday
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is all set for the elections in local government units affected by the Mt. Kanlaon eruption.
OCD-NIR regional director Donato Sermeno said they are now on red alert status as they continue to monitor the activity of Kanlaon Volcano.
At the REMAC briefing, Maj. Gen. Michael Samson, Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (ID) commander, and PBrig. Gen. Arnold Thomas Ibay, officer-in-charge of Police Regional Office-NIR, said their respective contingency plans are now in place, including election-related duties and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations.
“The moment Kanlaon Volcano erupts, our primordial duty is to save lives. Election will come later,” Ibay said.
If necessary, Samson said they will get augmentation forces from the 3ID in Panay to add more troops in Negros for HADR operations, if needed.
A potential eruption of Kanlaon Volcano could displace up to 100,000 people, according to OCD.
Brig. Gen. Ted Dumosmog, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, has declared that remnants of the New People’s Army are no longer capable of influencing the outcome of elections as they were able to clear all the insurgency-affected barangays in Negros Occidental.
Dumosmog said they have not received reports or complaints of candidates, being victimized by rebel extortion activities. | GB
