DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday announced that the number of election hotspots in the province has increased to 90, two days ahead of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSK) elections.
Citing Regional Joint Security Coordinating Council (RJSCC) figures, acting provincial police director Sr. Supt. Raul Tacaca said the number of election hotspots has increased from 73 barangays recorded last week.
“Yung latest naming nasa 90 na based on the categories na binigay ng Comelec (our latest count is at 90 now based on the categories given by the Comelec),” he said.
Tacaca said the additional election hotspots are still in the same 17 towns and cities in Negros Oriental which were tagged as potential election hotspots.
Guihulngan City in the northern part of the province had the highest number of barangays tagged as hotspots.
Meanwhile, a formal send-off ceremony was held Friday morning for hundreds of government security forces that would be deployed for election duty on Monday.
Tacaca said the police personnel, to be augmented by Philippine Army troopers, will be deployed starting Saturday but will report to the polling places assigned them Monday morning, together with the teachers who will be manning the voting precincts.
He assured that there will be enough police personnel to man the police stations and carry out the usual police functions as there will be augmentation on election day.
Tacaca assumed office in lieu of Sr. Supt. Edwin Portento upon arrival here Friday, following a simple turnover of command ceremony Thursday at the PNP Regional Office 7 (PRO-7) in Camp Sergio Osmeña, Cebu City.
The police director said he hoped that Monday’s electoral exercise would be peaceful and orderly even as the PRO-7 has tagged Negros Oriental as the priority area in terms of security in the Central Visayas region. (PNA)
