“So ‘yan ang binabantayan natin. ‘Pag may sumiklab diyan na violence na that threatens the peace ‘yung sa elections, we might be constrained to declare that under Comelec control,” Comelec Chairperson Saidamen Pangarungan told reporters during the signing of a peace covenant at Basilan State College in Isabela City on Saturday.
[Translation: So we are monitoring these areas. If violence erupts that could threaten peace during elections, we might be constrained to declare that under Comelec control.]
“Meron tayong joint regional security sector na pinamumunuan ng regional election director at saka ‘yung pinakamataas na regional PNP commander at pinakamataas na regional AFP commander. Sila ang naga-assist dito and then sila rin ang magre-recommend ng mga area na ide-declare na under Comelec control. On that basis, the chairman of the Committee on Ban on Firearms can declare an area under Comelec control,” he added.
[Translation: We have a joint regional security sector headed by the regional election director and the highest regional Philippine National Police commander and regional Armed Forces of the Philippines commander. They help us and they recommend what areas to declare under Comelec control.]
The Comelec, police and the military classify election areas of concern in four categories: green, yellow, orange and red.
Green category refers to areas with no security concern, yellow category for areas with a history of election-related violence or existence of political rivalry, orange category for places with serious armed threats by terrorist groups or other armed groups, and red category for areas with political climate warranting the declaration of Comelec control.
Comelec Commissioner George Garcia earlier that the poll body had to be careful in tagging an area as an election area of concern as this will result in mobility restrictions, affecting residents and businesses alike.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 24) — The Commission on Elections is monitoring 104 municipalities and 14 cities placed under “red category” due to possible election-related violence.
