LEGAZPI CITY, Albay – A total of 17,784 personnel from law enforcement agencies have been deployed to secure the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in the Bicol region on Monday, October 30.
Police Lt. Col. Malu Calubaquib, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office-5, said that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has 5,000 soldiers, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)-Bicol, 550 personnel; Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Bicol, 2,234, and the PRO-5, 10,000 policemen.
In Bicol, 23 barangays are under the "red" category or areas under Commission on Elections control. "These areas have had histories of election-related incidents, intense political rivalries, and presence of partisan armed groups," Calubaquib said.
Albay has 17 barangays under the red category and Masbate has six barangays in the same category.
The town of Daraga has eight barangays in the red category, one in Legazpi City, and eight in Libon. Aroroy in Masbate has two, one in Baleno, one in Masbate City, one in Placer, and one in Uson.
Calubaquib said that Bicol has 299 barangays under the "orange" category – 33 in Albay, 55 in Camarines Norte, and 205 in Masbate. "Areas under the orange category are those determined to have serious armed threats," she said.
Bicol has 75 barangays under "yellow" category – 46 in Albay, 27 in Masbate, and two in Sorsogon. "The yellow category are those with a history of election-related incidents in the last elections, possible employment of partisan armed groups, and the occurrence of politically motivated election-related cases that had been previously declared under Comelec control," Calubaquib said.
The remaining 3,471 barangays in Bicol are under "green" category. "Areas under the green category do not have security concerns and are generally peaceful and orderly," Calubaquib said.