ILOILO – Fourteen towns in this province are considered as “election watch list areas”.
Thirteen of these are categorized as “orange” or “election areas of immediate concern” while the other one was categorized as “red” or an “election area of grave concern”.
The 13 “orange” towns are Alimodian, San Joaquin, Tubungan, Miag-ao, Igbaras, Leon, Lemery, San Dionisio, Sara, Bingawan, Lambunao, Maasin, and Janiuay.
The “red” town is Calinog because it recorded violent election related incidents (ERI) in the 2016 elections and because of the serious armed threat posed by communist rebels in far-flung barangays.
Resolution No. 10481 of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) set four categories of “election watch list” – green, yellow, orange, and red.
Green are areas with no security concerns or is relatively peaceful and orderly.
Yellow are areas with any of the following:
* occurrence of suspected election-related incidents (ERI) in the last two elections provided there was no participation of domestic terror groups
* existence of intense partisan political rivalry with no anticipation of domestic terror groups
* possible employment of partisan armed groups by the candidates in the area
* occurrence of politically-motivated ERI in the current election period provided there is no participation of domestic terror groups
* the area has been previously declared under Comelec control
The Comelec En Banc, among others may direct the augmentation of Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) personnel, as the need arise in areas under category yellow.
Orange are areas with the following factors:
* combination of two or more factors under category yellow; or
* there is serious armed threats posed by the New People’s Army (NPA), Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), Abuy Sayyaf Group, and rogue elements of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and/or Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and other analogous groups.
The Comelec en banc, among others, may direct the augmentation of PNP and AFP personnel, as the need arises in areas under orange category, and reshuffle the police force in such areas./PN
