PNP sees 249 barangays classified under ‘red’ election areas of concern

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is now looking at 249 barangays that may be considered as election areas of concern under the red category for this year’s Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE).

At a press conference, PNP Deputy Chief for Operations Police Lieutenant General Michael John Dubria noted that the PNP’s list of election areas of concern is constantly changing.

“We have under the red category, for the PNP, we have 249 barangays sa (for) red category. Sa (For) orange category, we have 1,344. And sa (for) yellow category, we have 1,010 barangays,” Dubria said.

Dubria said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has its own monitoring.

The PNP and AFP will reconcile their records and submit their recommendation to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for approval.

“Jointly, we will be submitting it to the Comelec for the BSKE 2023 and the Comelec chair will be submitting it to the Comelec en banc for final approval,” Dubria said.

Areas under the yellow category have reported suspected election-related incidents in the last two polls but no participation of local terror groups.

Yellow areas may have intense partisan political rivalry and candidates possibly employing partisan armed groups. These areas may also be previously declared under the Comelec control.

Orange areas exhibit two or more factors under the yellow category or a serious armed threat posed by local terrorist groups and other threat groups.

The red category refers to areas with one or more factors described under the yellow category and serious armed threats posed by local terrorist groups.

Violent incidents

Meanwhile, PNP chief Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr. said they monitored 27 incidents of violence suspected to be related to the upcoming polls.

Of the 27 incidents, 19 are validated to be unrelated to the elections, while only four are validated to be related to the polls. The remaining four incidents are still undergoing validation process.

PNP public information office chief Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said the four validated incidents were reported in Bicol, Calabarzon, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

These include the shooting incidents in Barangay San Jose in Libon, Albay; Barangay Poblacion Zone 10 in Taal, Batangas; and Barangay Bubonga Tawaan in Piagapo, Lanao Del Sur.

The other one was an alarm and scandal incident in Barangay Chinatown in Malabang, Lanao Del Sur.

The BSKE is set to be held on October 30. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News