ILOILO CITY – Authorities have identified 11 election hotspots or areas with security concerns in Panay Island three days before the start of the local campaign period on March 28.
PRO-6 chief Police Brig. Gen. Jack Wanky, Comelec-6 Regional Director Dennis Ausan, and Police Col. Gilbert Gorero announce 11 election hotspots in Panay Island. (Tara Yap)
The Regional Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center-6, the inter-agency group chaired by the Commission on Elections-6 with the Police Regional Office-6, the 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, and the Philippine Coast Guard-6, released an updated list on Tuesday, March 25.
These election hotspots were classified into four different color categories – red, orange, yellow, and green.
Red is the highest level of concern.
“Fortunately, we no longer have an area under the red category,” said PRO-6 Director Police Brig. Gen. Jack Wanky after the town of Calinog in Iloilo province was downgraded to green from the red category.
Calinog had been identified as red category for armed threats, especially by remnants of the New People’s Army (NPA).
The RJPSCC-6 identified six areas in the orange category. Five are in Iloilo – the towns of Alimodian, Badiangan, Janiuay, Maasin, and San Joaquin. The municipality of Tapaz in Capiz province is also in the orange category.
Five towns are in the yellow category, the towns of Ajuy, Lemery, and San Dionisio in Iloilo, Tobias Fornier in Antique province, and President Roxas in Capiz province.
The remaining 90 cities and towns on the island were classified as green, indicating no major security concern.
Wanky said the RJPSCC-6 did not include areas in Negros Occidental province as there is a separate list for Negros Island.