BACOLOD CITY — The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) confirmed on Monday it has been monitoring 80 election watchlist areas (EWAs) in the province in relation to the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections this May 14.
“The 80 barangays are still subject for more validation and monitoring through the conduct of Commission on Election (Comelec) workshops,” said Sr. Supt. Rodolfo Castil, police provincial director, in a statement.
The said villages were identified among the 601 barangays in Negros Occidental after a series of workshops and coordinating conferences conducted by the Comelec, with the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines and other concerned government agencies.
The 80 villages were not identified individually, but were listed under three categories.
There are three villages under Category I, which includes barangays with reported election-related violent incidents from year 2010 to 2016; 74 under Category 2, which are those with reported presence of New People’s Army and other armed groups; and three under Category 3, which includes villages with both election-related violence between 2010 and 2016, and armed group threats.
The Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 last Friday announced that Negros Occidental has the most number of EWAs for the May 14 polls among the six provinces in Western Visayas, although it initially identified only 77 villages.
Sr. Supt. Jesus Cambay Jr., deputy regional director for operations of PRO-6, earlier said the data on EWAs might still change as the elections near.
Cambay assured the public that the police, together with the Philippine Army, has already laid out joint security preparations in these areas of concerns, and also in other areas not included in the poll watchlist.
Lt. Gen. Paul Atal, commander of the Philippine Army’s Central Command, further said the army and the police are coordinating their efforts to give priority to these critical areas.
“We have continuous assessment in order for these areas to be properly secured,” Atal added. (PNA)
