DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, October 16 (PIA) -- The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is expected to impose a curfew on some areas in the province and strengthen the ban on the release of public funds or certain prohibitions related to the conduct of the elections in Negros Oriental.

This was disclosed by COMELEC-7 Regional Director Atty. Lionel Marco Castillano after the province was placed under COMELEC control to ensure a peaceful conduct of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) on October 30, 2023. 

However, during the Provincial Joint Security Command Conference (PJSCC) held on October 13, 2023, Castillano said they are still waiting for the COMELEC in Manila to issue an operational plan or guidelines for the province. 

Even if the COMELEC en banc has not yet released the guidelines, the augmentation forces from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will be deployed to ensure the orderly and peaceful conduct of the BSKE.

“This is the first time that our armed forces would deploy personnel in the voting center. They will be deployed together with the PNP personnel in every voting place in the province because they have seen during the public hearing that when they work together, people would come out,” Castillano said.

The curfew will not be implemented in all areas in the province, as COMELEC will identify the barangays where it will be implemented. 

The grounds for COMELEC control also include the presence of private armies or identifiable armed groups widely perceived to have committed terrorism.

Castillano said placing the province under COMELEC control is just a precautionary measure in view of previous of election violent incidents, particularly the March 4, 2023 killing of former Governor Roel Degamo and nine other people. 

All the precautionary measures of COMELEC have legal bases, including the deployment of law enforcers in every polling place. 

“Our job is to secure the voters to vote freely and their vote counted correctly, that is our challenge in this preparation,” the Comelec official said. (JCT/PIA7 Negros Oriental)