ILOILO CITY – Authorities have identified 44 hot spots across Western Visayas region, less than two months away from the May 9 national elections.
The Regional Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center (RJPSCC-6), the inter-agency group consisting of Police Regional Office (PRO-6), Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) and the Commission on Elections (COMELEC-6), recently released the list of election hotspots.
“But the numbers could change, especially when the campaign period for local candidates begin,” Police Lieutenant Colonel Arnel Solis told Manila Bulletin.
“The listing could change depending on the ground situation,” the PRO-6 spokesperson added.
The 44 election hotspots are classified into four different color categories—red, orange, yellow, and green.
The red category is the highest risk for violence, especially where there are election-related killings or with the presence of armed groups including the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels.
In the red category, four of the five identified election hotspots are in Negros Occidental province. These are the component city of Escalante as well as the towns of Calatrava, Candoni and Moises Padilla, where then town councilor Jolomar Bañares Hilario was murdered in his home in 2019.
The RJPSCC-6 identified 35 in the orange category with the provinces of Iloilo and Negros Occidental having 13 areas each that are hotspots.
Towns in Iloilo province that fall on the orange category are Alimodian, Bingawan, Igbaras, Janiuay, Lambunao, Lemery, Leon, Maasin, Miag-ao, San Dionisio, San Joaquin, Sara, and Tubungan.
In Negros Occidental province, the orange category includes the component cities of Himamaylan, Kabankalan, Sipalay, Silay, and Victorias, as well as the towns of Binalbagan, Cauayan, Hinoba-an, Ilog, Isabela, La Castellana, Manapla, and Toboso.
In Antique province, the election hotspots under the orange category are Culasi, Hamtic, San Remigio, Sebaste, and Sibalom.
In Capiz province, the towns of Dumalag, Maayon, and Tapaz are under the orange category.
The town of Libacao in Aklan province is also under the orange category.
The RJPSCC-6 identified four under the yellow category. These are Bacolod City and Don Salvador Benedicto in Negros Occidental province; Laua-an town in Antique province; and Pilar town in Capiz province.
Meanwhile, cops across Western Visayas region assure that checkpoints will continue to implement the election gun ban.