BACOLOD City – This city remained under the green category for the upcoming May 12 midterm elections, the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) said.
Areas under the green category have no or least security concern related to the upcoming elections. The red category, meanwhile, is the highest alert level during election period, with serious or grave security threats and a history of election-related incidents.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Lester Leada, deputy director for operations of the BCPO, said the city was also under the green category in the previous elections.
“Waay kita sang election-related incidents, waay election areas of concern unlike in the other provinces nga may hotspots,” Leada said.
He however said that despite the said categorization, all 10 police stations in the city are currently on heightened alert status due to the alleged sightings of an armed group in Barangay Felisa.
This Friday, January 10, Leada said they will meet with the Philippine Army to further validate the said armed individuals.
Earlier, BCPO director Colonel Joeresty Coronica directed all police stations in the city to be vigilant and alert after they have received reports of presence of an armed group here.
Police Captain Sherwin Galupar, commander of Police Station 10, said several individuals were first seen roaming around Barangay Felisa in disguise of having a mental illness.
Coronica also there is also a possibility that the target of the armed group is the newly constructed solar power project in the said barangay.
“The fact that there were sightings of movement of the alleged New People’s Army (NPA) members, possibly they are planning to harass the company which has an existing issue. Sakyan na nila para kuno abi naga-respond man sila kay may reklamo ang iban nga pumuluyo. Pero nabal-an naman nga ang ila diskarte amo nga pwede ginpangayuan nila [company] kag wala naghatag, amo na iban ginasunog, ang iban ginaguba,” Coronica said./PN
