• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Oriental appears to be the focus again of the Commission on Elections in the midterm elections next year, following the occurrence of election-related violent incidents in previous years.
That is why the Comelec regional office of Negros Island Region has been initially established in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, instead of Bacolod City in Negros Occidental, as provided by law, according to NIR Comelec regional director Lionel Marco Castellano.
Based on the resolution issued by the Comelec en banc, the NIR Comelec regional office would be “preferably in Dumaguete City,” Castillano said.
He, however, added that a satellite office will also be established in Bacolod City, which will be headed by Regional Election Attorney Cindy Ballesteros.
Castillano also said that he was ordered by Comelec chairman George Garcia to give special attention to Negros Oriental because of peace and security concerns in the previous elections.
Gov. Roel Ragay Degamo and nine others were all killed inside his residential compound in Pamplona, Negros Oriental, on March 4, 2023.
Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. was linked to the assassination of Degamo.
However, in the recently concluded Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections last year in Negros Oriental, it was the most peaceful elections in the province, without any untoward election-related violence, Castillano said.*
