• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
About 7,000 personnel of the Philippine Army, National Police, and Coast Guard will secure the entire Negros Island Region during the May 12 elections, P/Brig. Gen. Arnold Thomas Ibay, Police Regional Office-NIR officer-in-charge disclosed on Monday.
Ibay, who visited the Bacolod City Police Office headquarters and led the inauguration and blessing of the BCPO entrance gate, also confirmed the deployment of about 350 BCPO personnel to Negros Oriental within two days, to augment police and Army troopers in maintaining peace and order.
All 25 towns and cities of Negros Oriental have been classified as election areas of concern, with La Libertad and Guihulngan City under the red category, and 23 other local government units under the yellow category. The province was placed under Comelec control in 2023, due to election related incidents, with then Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, as among the most notable victims of violence.
“We have covered all areas of NIR, for deployment (of troops). We are good to go,” declared Ibay.
Almost all areas in Negros Occidental and Siqujior are under the green category, which means it has no security-related issues, with the exception of Candoni town which is under the orange category.
Ibay said that the BCPO personnel will stay in Negros Oriental until May 15 this year, three days after election period ends.
The 7,000 military, police, and coast guard personnel will be utilized to secure polling centers, transport of election paraphernalia, and road security, among others, before and after the election on May 12, he further said.
Task Force Kontra Bigay and Daya was also established by the Regional Joint Security Coordinating Center (RJSCC) of the NIR to ensure electoral integrity for the upcoming May 2025 elections and address concerns on vote buying.*
