The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is mulling the possibility of authorizing Chairman Saidamen Pangarungan to place specific areas under its direct control and supervision.

Comelec Commissioner George Garcia revealed this during the Laging Handa public briefing Monday, April 4.

"We are contemplating of even authorizing our Chairman to immediately issue the order to place a particular area in the country under Comelec Control," he said.

Garcia added that this is subject to the confirmation of the en banc.

He explained that this is to prevent violence or the heightening of tension in the concerned area.

"If we wait for the weekly en banc meeting there may be delays in the necessary actions to prevent violence or the heightening of tension in the concerned area," said Garcia.

In Resolution No. 10757, the poll body said when the peace and order. situation in the area will affect the conduct of elections, the Comelec en banc may place any political division, subdivision, unit or area affected under its immediate and direct control and supervision.

The grounds for the declaration of Comelec Control are the following:

•History of/ or current intense rivalry among the contending parties. Such rivalries could motivate people to engage in violent acts;

•The area has been previously declared under Comelec Control;

•Incidence of politically-motivated violence involving aspirants/ candidates and/or their supporters;

•Violence maybe facilitated by the employment of Private Armed. Groups (PAGs); and

•Serious armed threats posed by the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG), and/or other threat groups including the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), the Maute Group, and other analogous threat groups as may be declared by the competent authority, or other paramilitary forces, private armies or identifiable armed bands widely perceived to have committed terrorism, fraud or other election irregularities and threaten or tend to disrupt the holding of free, peaceful, honest, orderly and credible elections in any political division, subdivision, unit or area.

The Comelec en banc has the authority to place certain areas in the country under Comelec Control.