• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Philippine Army will secure the exterior perimeters of polling areas, while the police is tasked with maintaining law and order within the vicinity of polling precincts during the May 12 elections, Provincial Election Supervisor Atty. Ian Lee Ananoria disclosed yesterday.
The Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade stationed in Negros Occidental is utilizing more than 1,000 soldiers and CAFGUs to secure the electorate, candidates, and poll workers, according to its commander, Brig. Gen. Ted Dumosmog.
Ananoria said that not all members of the PNP may render election duty, as some of them may also be used for border control, in case of a Kanlaon Volcano eruption.
Should there be a shortage of poll workers, police officers are also being eyed to be utilized as poll workers.
Members of the Provincial Joint Security Coordinating Center are convening today at the Negros Residence in Bacolod City, to finalize their assessment of the peace and order situation and to come out a recommendation on whether or not Negros Occidental, will remain under the green category, or no election related concerns.
The Commission on Elections classification of areas of concern has four categories: green, yellow, orange and red.
Under yellow are the areas of concern that have a history of election-related incidents in the last two elections, orange category are areas with immediate concern on serious armed threats, while red refers to areas with grave concern, with combined factors under the yellow category and serious armed threats.
Ananoria disclosed that Atty. Lionel Marco Castillano, Comelec regional director for Negros Island Region, will also attend the PJSCC meeting.
The PJSCC is also expected to present its contingency plans for the holding of elections in areas affected by an eruption of the Kanlaon Volcano.*
