PALO, Leyte (PIA) -- The entire force of the Police Regional Office 8 is ready to serve and secure the peaceful conduct of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Elections on October 30.

Police Brigadier General Reynaldo H. Pawid, PRO-8 acting regional director, made the assurance in a press conference held on Saturday, October 28, at the PRO-8 Conference Room, Camp Kangleon, Palo, Leyte.

“Makakaasa po kayo na ang inyong kapulisan, kasama ang kasundaluhan at mga myembro ng Philippine Coast Guard, ay magbabantay sa lahat ng mga lugar na pagdarausan ng eleksyon at patuloy na sisiguraduhin ang peace and security sa lahat ng mga barangay sa buong Silangang Bisayas,” PBGen. Pawid said.

As part of the preparations, the PRO-8 has strengthened its planning and coordination with other partner agencies in order to ensure a safe, accurate, fair, and peaceful conduct of the elections.

PRO-8 also deployed 7,000 police officers across the region for election-related duties, 2,000 personnel from the Philippine Army and 200 personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard, who will assist the Comelec in the peaceful conduct of the BSKE.

While everything was in place from the deployment, security, intelligence, checkpoints, and augmentation in places where police presence is necessary, the regional police has raised a full alert status beginning Saturday morning, October 28, until all election paraphernalia are returned to the respective election offices.

Of the 4,365 barangays in Eastern Visayas, 3,974 are categorized as green or election areas of no security concern, which means areas which are relatively peaceful.

Meanwhile,197 barangays are categorized as yellow or areas of concern, which means there is an occurrence of suspected election-related incident in the last two elections, existence of intense partisan political rivalry with no participation of terror groups, possible employment of partisan armed groups by the candidates in the area, occurrence of politically motivated election-related incident in the current election period provided there is no participation of domestic terror groups or the area has been previously declared under Comelec control.

In addition, 131 barangays are categorized as orange or areas of immediate concern, which means two or more factors under category yellow are present with serious armed threat posed by the NPA and other analogous groups.

Meanwhile, 63 barangays were placed under the red category or areas of grave concern.

It’s because of the existence of one or more factors described under category yellow together with serious armed threats posed by the CTG and other analogous groups.

BGen. Pawid disclosed that majority of the barangays placed under red category are located in the Samar province.

While the Comelec, PNP, and other agencies joined forces to ensure the orderly conduct of the elections, Pawid enjoined the candidates and voters to be responsible enough in the upcoming elections and refrain from doing things which are prohibited or against the law. (MMP/CBA/PIA-8)