BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Negros Occidental will wait for the formal filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections before releasing a complete and updated list of Election Watchlist Areas (EWAs) in the province.
A list of eyed EWAs was released during the 1st Quarter Visayas Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center meeting in Cebu on Wednesday. It was attended by the Armed Forces of the Philippines Visayas Command (AFP-VISCOM), the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Coast Guard.
Comelec-Negros Occidental elections supervisor Atty. Ian Lee Ananoria said 17 local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental may have been included in the list due to their insurgency problem.
AFP-VISCOM commander Lt. General Benedict Arevalo identified 17 LGUs in Negros Occidental that could be tagged as EWAs.
These are Don Salvador Benedicto town, an “area of concern”, and the cities of Silay, Victorias, Himamaylan, Kabankalan, Sipalay, and the towns of Toboso, Binalbagan, Isabela, La Castellana, Calatrava, Ilog and Cauayan as “areas of immediate concern”.
The towns of Candoni, Moises Padilla, and the city of Escalante were identified as “areas of grave concern”.
Around 37 localities in the region may be tagged as EWAs, added Arevalo.
The filing of COCs for the barangay and SK elections will be from Aug. 28 to Sept. 2./PN
