THE PNP has identified an initial 27 “red” or critical areas where additional police personnel will be deployed to secure elections staff and voters during the October 30 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
In a press briefing, PNP deputy chief for operations Lt. Gen. Michael John Dubria said the list is still subject to the approval of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
“We have some figures here, but this is to be submitted to the Comelec en banc for approval,” said Dubria.
Areas are classified under four categories during elections – Red, Yellow, Orange, and Green, with Green considered as relatively peaceful and orderly.
An area is classified as Category Yellow category if any of the following factors are present: occurrence of suspected election-related incident in the last election, existence of intense partisan political rivalry, possible employment of partisan armed groups, occurrence of politically-motivated and election-related incidents, and previously declared under the control of the Comelec.
An area under Category Orange has a combination of two or more factors under the Yellow category or if there is a serious armed threat in the area.
On the other hand, areas are classified under the Red tag if it has two or more factors under Yellow Category, with serious threats posed by armed threat groups.
“We have Category Green, 37,683. That is an election with no area of concern. For Yellow, we have 4,085. For Orange, we have 232, and for Red we have 27,” said Dubria.
“But these figures were based on the past elections. So this is just a ballpark figure that we’re supposed to validate some more together with the (Comelec), we have to get the approval of the Comelec en banc. As of the moment, that is the information that we can provide,” said Dubria.
PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said the PNP will augment forces and focus on Negros Oriental during the BSKE.
Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and nine others were killed in an attack by armed groups last March. Suspended Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves and several others have been named as among those involved in the attacks and have been charged with murder.
Acorda said they are also focusing their attention on some areas in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
“There will be adjustments that will be made (in these areas) and we will provide appropriate security requirements,” he said, adding that it is the duty of the PNP to secure the elections.
Likewise, Acorda assured the public that the PNP is taking steps to ensure that policemen will be non-partisan in the elections.
He said the PNP has already identified the policemen assigned in specific areas where their relatives or friends are running in the elections, hinting that the cops might be reassigned to prevent them from influencing the result of the elections in these areas.
“We identified these police officers to really make sure that they will not become partisan in this forthcoming election. We will make some adjustments. We are going to do that before the election ban comes,” said Acorda.
In a press conference after the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the PNP and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Comelec chairman George Garcia said they are already expecting election-related violent incidents will increase in the run-up to the October 30 polls.
“We already expect more intense political battles to begin soon. We also expect more violence to begin. The barangay and SK elections are usually more violent, more problematic, and see more rivalries,” Garcia said, pointing out that many of the candidates in the local polls are closely related.
“This is a given since the rivals are usually siblings, relatives, neighbors, and friends,” he said.
Because of this, he said they are set to hold a Command Conference on August 22 with the PNP, PCG, and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
“We shall discuss the peace and order situation in the country, on which should be placed under Comelec control, tagged as areas of concern, and where to increase their presence… All of these will be discussed,” Garcia said.
The election period for the BSKE is set to run from August 28, 2023 to November 29, 2023.
During the election period, it is prohibited to carry or transport firearms or any other deadly weapons in public places.
CALAMITY-HIT AREAS
Garcia said the barangay and youth polls will continue in areas where schools set to serve as voting centers have been damaged by recent typhoons.
“Even if there are calamities or disasters, the Comelec will always afford everybody their right to vote. Nobody should be left behind,” he said, adding that local poll officers have already recommended alternative voting centers.
“Our local Comelec offices, especially those in disaster-hit areas, have already submitted their recommendations for alternative voting centers,” said the poll chief.
Garcia issued the assurance after Education Secretary and Vice President Sara Duterte bared that many public schools remain damaged due to the recent typhoons.
Based on the latest data, some 479 schools in the National Capital Region (NCR), Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, and Eastern Visayas were damaged by recent typhoons.
Under the Omnibus Election Code, a public school or any other public building within the barangay shall be used as a polling place during elections.
And in case of unavailability of a public school or other public building, private establishments may be designated, provided that such buildings are not owned or occupied or possessed by any incumbent elective public official or candidate, or his relative within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, and must be centrally located as much as possible.
For the BSKE 2023, the last day to file requests/petitions for transfer/change/correction of name/address of voting centers/polling places is on September 15, 2023. — With Gerard Naval
