SIBULAN, Negros Oriental, April 27 (PIA) -- The Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have yet to place any part of Negros Oriental under “Areas of Concern" (AOC) in view of the upcoming polls.

COMELEC Commissioner George Erwin Garcia said they still could not give an exact figure and specific details on the number of AOCs in the province as the COMELEC Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Concerns (CBSFC) together with the two agencies tasked to provide security on Election Day are continuously assessing and verifying the situation on the ground.

“Nag-submit sa amin ng pagkakapal-kapal na folder ang PNP at military. Ito po ay isang coordinated effort na sinubmit sa amin. We also have our gun ban and security personnel committee na nag-aanalyze po ng lahat ng ito. So kung bakit wala pa ang Negros? Simply because of the constantly changing assessment in the area (The PNP and the military have submitted to us thick folders. We also have our gun ban and security personnel committee which analyzes all of this. As to why there is still no area declared in Negros? Simply because of the constantly changing assessment in the area),” Garcia said.

The COMELEC official together with PNP-7 Regional Director PBGen. Eduardo Roque Vega and LTG. Rober Dauz of the Philippine Army who is now the commander of the AFP Visayas Command appeared in a press conference here on April 25, which coincided with the conduct of the Covenant Signing for Clean, Honest, Meaningful, and Peaceful (CHAMP) Elections in Negros Oriental and a Regional Joint Security Coordinating Center (RJSCC) Conference.

Garcia, however, noted in the same press conference that there are 104 areas throughout the country that are being eyed as AOCs. 

He added there is no indication for any part of Negros Oriental to be placed under AOC as of the moment.

Garcia assured the media and the public that the COMELEC will release the list of AOCs in the first part of May.

On the part of RJSCC, COMELEC-7 Regional Director Dennis Ausan said all factors will be considered in making the recommendation for the list of areas to be placed under AOC.

“In due time we will be coming out with a final list enumerating these places after we have verified all the factors that must be taken into account. We also have scheduled our final command conference whereby all the provincial election supervisors, in their capacity as chair of the PJSCC, will be made to come up with their reports in their respective provinces. In such report will be duly taken into account by the RJSCC in also coming out with our recommendation,” Ausan said.  

Security sector officials in Central Visayas also assured the police and military they will continue to be on top of the situation and preserve the peace and order in the province in line with the conduct of elections even without the declaration of AOCs.

“Rest assured, we are in control of the area with the AFP and the PNP we have a good collaboration. Be assured of peaceful election here," Vega said.

“Huwag kayong mag-aalala. We will have enough forces. We have enough human resource to address whatever areas of concern na lalabas dito sa final assessment namin. Lahat ito tulong sa COMELEC. Ang real objective natin ay makaboto without intimidation coercion or yung fear na lalabas sila sa kanilang tahanan (Do not worry. We will have enough forces. We have enough human resource to address whatever areas of concern that will come out in this final assessment. This is to help COMELEC. Our real objective here is to enable people to vote without coercion or fear to go out of their house),” Dauz said. (RAL/PIA7 Negros Oriental)