Comelec puts Pilar town in Abra under 'red' classification after recent shootout
By Dhel Nazario
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has upgraded the classification of Pilar town in Abra from orange to red, in line with the alleged killing last March 29 of the staff of Vice Mayor Jaja Josefina Somero Disono of Pilar, Abra.

"Putting a certain area under Comelec control is a sensitive issue. Decisions must be made based on formal reports from our deputies in charge of the security, peace and order," Commissioner Aimee Ferolino said in a statement.
"Pending verification of the reports received, the CBFSC has upgraded the categorization of Pilar from Orange to Red. We will decide the issue on Comelec control next CBFSC meeting upon receipt of validation reports," she added.
The regional director of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), 11 other police officers and men, and an election officer have been charged with murder in the alleged killing of the staff of Disono of Pilar, Abra.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said in a statement that the complaint was filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday, April 28, by NBI-National Capital Region (NBI-NCR).
The Comelec uses a color-coded system to tag “areas of concern”, formerly called election “hotspots.” Areas tagged as green have no problem and no cause for concern; yellow means the areas have a history of political unrest; while Orange indicates such areas have armed groups.
Ferolino currently sits as the acting chair of the Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Concerns (CBFSC). This is a committee in the commission, which shall be responsible for the implementation of the ban on the bearing, carrying or transporting of firearms and other deadly weapons, and the employment, availment or engagement of security personnel, among others, and the rules and regulations on the application for exemption.