ILOILO City – Growing concerns over the integrity and security of the upcoming May 12 elections are emerging in Western Visayas, as several political candidates have already applied for and been granted temporary police escorts, the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) disclosed.
PRO-6 director Police Brigadier General Jack Wanky confirmed that several candidates have secured temporary permits for police security ahead of the March 28 start of the campaign period for local elections.
“Actually, a lot have already been granted temporary permits. Their applications have gone through the Committee on the Firearms Ban to expedite the process,” Wanky said, noting that more requests continue to pour in as the campaign season approaches.
Although the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has yet to release an official list of applicants, Wanky assured that PRO-6’s operations unit is keeping records of those approved.
The surge in security detail requests has prompted scrutiny, particularly amid concerns that some candidates may be attempting to tap private armed groups (PAGs) to gain an upper hand.
“We have not received any confirmed reports on the existence of private armed groups in the region, but we are validating information that some candidates may have attempted to contact them,” Wanky revealed.
The possibility of PAG involvement has long been a security flashpoint in Philippine elections, often linked to political violence, vote-buying, and intimidation.
While Wanky insisted that the region remains “generally peaceful,” he acknowledged the seriousness of the intelligence reports and assured that PRO-6 remains on high alert.
“There is nothing for candidates to worry about. We are continuously monitoring the situation, and we are ready to act against any security threats,” he emphasized.
Areas of Concern
The PRO-6 has identified several municipalities in Panay and Guimaras islands as areas of concern, though none have been placed under the highest-risk “red” category.
Wanky said the National Intelligence and Coordinating Committee (NIACC) and the Philippine Integrated Command Center (PICC) have classified areas into green, yellow, and orange categories based on factors such as political rivalry, history of election-related violence, and threats from communist-terrorist groups.
Of the municipalities in Panay and Guimaras, 90 are classified as “green” or generally peaceful.
Under the “yellow” category, or areas with intense political rivalry or previous election-related incidents, are Tobias Fornier in Antique; President Roxas in Capiz; and Ajuy, Lemery, and San Dionisio in Iloilo.
The “orange” category, indicating areas with both political tension and insurgency threats, includes Tapaz in Capiz; and Badiangan, Janiuay, Alimodian, Maasin, and San Joaquin in Iloilo
Wanky said no area has reached the “red” classification, which indicates a high risk due to both political violence and significant New People’s Army (NPA) presence.
Despite recent shootings in Iloilo province, PRO-6 attributed the decline in gun violence to intensified search warrant operations.
“There are fewer shooting incidents now compared to the past, and we have conducted more search warrant operations to address cases of violence in Region 6,” Wanky said./PN
