DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, September 20 (PIA) -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) here has identified 27 villages in Negros Oriental as "areas of grave concern" in line with the October 30 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).

This was disclosed by Comelec Provincial Election Supervisor Atty. Eliseo Labaria during the launching of “Ang Maayong Politiko” Candidates’ Forum, education campaign, and peace covenant signing on Sept. 19, 2023 at the Provincial Convention Center, this city. 

The areas are under the election hotspot list, which has four categories: green, yellow, orange, and red.

Labaria said 26 barangays have been classified under the orange category, while one under the yellow category.

The orange category includes those areas that have been determined to have "serious armed threats."

Areas under the yellow category are those that have 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 the control of the Commission on Elections."

However, the Comelec official said once the province is declared under Comelec control, the categorization will no longer be applied as the whole province will be treated as the same category.

“We are just waiting for the issuance of the Comelec control after the publication of the resolution and the guidelines for the implementation,” said Labaria.

Meantime, the Comelec together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) are ready with their contingency measures in line with the conduct of the BSKE. 

The Comelec here also kicked off its "Responsableng Kandidato" campaign with the conduct of the BSKE Forum.

Labaria warned all BSK aspirants against premature campaigning and engaging in electioneering is strictly prohibited under Section 80 of the Omnibus Election Code.

The campaign period for candidates of village and youth council polls starts from October 19 until 29, 2023.

During the candidates’ forum, more than a thousand candidates in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in Dumaguete City participated in the integrity pledge during the signing of covenant.

The covenant aims to ensure a peaceful and orderly political exercise in the city.

In the same interview, Labaria said the Comelec has issued show cause orders against two aspirants here.

The show cause orders were served to a candidate in Bais City and to another aspirant at a still undisclosed locality pending the service of the notice. (JCT/PIA7 Negros Oriental)