• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Police Regional Office Negros Island Region is sending 310 police personnel from the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) to Negros Oriental for the May 12 elections, NIR Comelec regional director Atty. Lionel Marco Castillano disclosed on Tuesday.
This follows the withdrawal of Police Regional Office 7 its 200 police personnel from Negros Oriental, following the establishment of Negros Island Region, which is now composed of the two provinces of Negros and Siquijor.
The decision to deploy 310 BCPO personnel to Negros Oriental was recommended by PBrig. Gen. Arnold Thomas Ibay, newly designated officer in charge of PRO NIR, and approved by members of the Regional Joint Security Coordinating Center (RJSCC) during its meeting on April 28 in Sibulan, Negros Oriental.
Castillano said that BCPO has more than 1,000 policemen, with only a few to secure polling areas in highly urbanized Bacolod City.
He assured the immediate return of 310 BCPO police personnel to Bacolod, after the May 12 elections in Negros Oriental.
They are scheduled to leave Bacolod City three days before the election, Castillano further said.
Except for Guihulngan City and La Libertad in Negros Oriental, which have been placed by Comelec under the red category, the remaining 23 local government units are under the yellow category.
Under Comelec’s color-coded classification, green indicates areas with no security concerns, yellow refers to areas with a history of political unrest or tension, orange includes areas where armed threats are present, and red marks areas considered critical.
Castillano also reported that political campaigning in the 3rd district of Negros Oriental, where election related violence in 2023 claimed the lives of then Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and nine others, appear peaceful so far.
The widow of Degamo, Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, and Janice Teves Gaston, aunt of siblings then Rep. Arnolfo Teves and gubernatorial candidate Henry Pryde Teves, are vying for the Negros Oriental 3rd district congressional post.
Castillano said the word war is only on social media, noting the absence of untoward incidents.
He also reported that they have not also monitored the existence of private armed groups that may be used by politicians in the upcoming May 12 elections, in entire Negros Island Region, especially in the Negros Oriental 3rd district.*
