JUST days before the start of the campaign period for local candidates in the May 12 polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said there are fewer areas of concern that are under the “red” category.
Latest data provided by the poll body showed there are 36 areas under the red category as of March 2025, compared to 38 areas listed two months ago, or in January 2025.
Areas under the “orange” category are fewer too at 156 as of this month. The number was at 177 in January this year.
On the other hand, the Comelec said there are now more areas under the “yellow” and “green” categories.
From 188 areas in January, those under the yellow category are now up to 194; while areas under the green category reached 1,256 this month compared to the 1,239 reported in January.
Under the Comelec classification, green areas are those with no security concerns or are relatively peaceful and orderly.
Yellow category areas are those which have a record of suspected election-related incidents in the last two elections; with intense partisan political rivalry; with candidates who are suspected to have employed partisan armed groups; where politically motivated incidents have occurred during the current election period; or those which have been previously declared under Comelec Control.
Classified under the orange category are those with a combination of two or more factors under the yellow category; and those where there are serious armed threats from communist terrorist groups and other analogous threat groups.
For the red category, these are areas with one or more factors described under the yellow category; areas with serious armed threats from communist terrorist groups and other analogous threat groups; or areas recommended by other agencies to be placed under Comelec control.
The Comelec data showed that 3o of the areas currently under the red category were in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), including 20 towns in Lanao del Sur, nine in Maguindanao del Sur, and one in Basilan.
Other areas under the red category are one in Isabela, one in Masbate, two in Negros Oriental, one in Western Samar, and one in Lanao del Norte.
