BACOLOD City – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in this city expects Bacolod to be generally peaceful until the end of the election period following the kickoff of the campaign period for local candidates on Friday, March 28.
Currently, Bacolod is under the “green category” for the upcoming May 12 midterm elections.
“We never want nga magsaka pa sa lain nga category. So this will be in the hands of the candidates and supporters kon ano man gid matabo sa aton in terms of the category, but we aim to maintain the green category,” said Atty. Revo Sorbito, the acting city election officer.
The Comelec’s list of areas of concern for the elections is divided into four categories:
* red – areas with serious armed threats and history of election-related incidents;
* orange – areas with serious armed threats;
* yellow – areas with history of election-related incidents; and
* green – areas that do not have security concerns and relatively peaceful and orderly.
Meanwhile, during the activation ceremony for the Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) here on March 27 which was graced by Undersecretary for Peace and Order Nestor Sanares of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), he ordered law enforcement agencies, particularly the Philippine National Police (PNP), to strengthen police visibility now that the local campaign period has started.
“Let us see to it that everybody will be voting peacefully, and as much as possible dismantle private armed groups,” he said.
For his part, Colonel Joeresty Coronica, Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) director, said they will deploy over 800 policemen during the election day.
He said five police officers will be assigned to each of the 48 polling precincts across the city./PN
