BY RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS
ILOILO City – All is “generally peaceful” in Western Visayas a week into the official election period, concurrent with the filing certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the Oct. 30 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
“Mahambal gid naton nga generally peaceful ang aton filing of certificates of candidacy kag ang first week sang aton election period tungod wala man kita may na-recond nga any related incident regionwide,” said Police Major Mary Grace Borio, spokesperson of Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6).
Security has been tightened as checkpoints were established and manned by personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Bureau of Fire Protection in collaboration with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Philippine National Police.
Beginning Aug. 28, Comelec also imposed a gun ban wherein “no person shall bear, carry, or transport firearms or other deadly weapons in public places, including any building, street, park, private vehicle, or public conveyance, even if licensed to possess or carry the same, unless authorized in writing by the Commission.”
Those found guilty of violating the gun prohibition face prison terms ranging from one to six years, as well as permanent disqualification from public office and loss of the right to vote.
“Sa gun ban, from the start sang aton election period sang 12:01 sang Aug. 28 up to Sept. 3 data nga nauyatan ta, may ara nine arrests, duha sa mga ini nakwaan sang kutsilyo ukon bladed weapon kag pito diri firearms,” Borio also said.
In Region 6, Bacolod City Police Office has the most number of arrested gun ban violators with four, two from the Iloilo City Police Office, and one each from the Iloilo Police Provincial Office, Regional Mobile Force Battalion, and Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office.
In Western Visayas, Comelec data showed 139,495 pre-profiled candidates for the BSKE. Below is the breakdown per province.
* Iloilo – 59,031 candidates
* Negros Occidental – 29,286 candidates
* Antique – 18,755 candidates
* Capiz – 17,209 candidates
* Aklan – 11,613 candidates
* Guimaras – 3,601 candidates
For barangay captain, there are 9,065 candidates in the region; 73,730 candidates for barangay kagawad; 9,704 candidates for SK chair; and 47,626 candidates for SK kagawad./PN
