By Sarwell Meniano/PNA
TACLOBAN CITY — Eastern Visayas is more peaceful months before the May 2019 elections compared to previous national polls, the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) said, citing initial assessments made by the police and military.
Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan, RPOC chairperson, said the fact that no village in the region has been categorized as a hotspot by the Philippine National Police (PNP) indicates that the 2019 election season is more peaceful.
“Although some areas in Samar and Leyte provinces deserve more attention due to history of election-related violence, the peace and order situation in the region is manageable,” Tan told reporters after the RPOC meeting here late Tuesday afternoon.
Citing police reports, election-related violence has significantly dropped in the region since the filing of certificates of candidacy last year compared to the 2016 election season. The official did not cite figures during the interview.
“We don’t have hotspot areas and we are happy since the region will not be put into bad connotation. There are areas that are highly politicized and we need constant monitoring and deploy additional forces,” Tan said.
At least 70 villages in Eastern Visayas have been identified as areas of concern for the upcoming May 13 mid-term elections, but the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said there is nothing to worry since the number only represents less than 2 percent of the region’s 4,390 villages.
Areas of concern are places with intense political rivalry, presence of armed groups, activities of criminal gangs, proliferation of loose firearms, and activities of threat groups.
Most of these villages are in Northern Samar and Samar provinces. There are also areas of concern in Leyte, Eastern Samar, and Biliran provinces. The PNP has yet to issue a full list of areas of concern, according to Comelec.
The peace and order council will meet again in March to further assess the security situation and see if there’s a need to change the 2019 mid-term elections security plan.