3,000 security forces to secure polls in NegOcc

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Commission on Elections (Comelec) Negros Occidental elections supervisor Atty. Roberto Salazar said Wednesday that more than 3,000 security forces will be deployed to various polling precincts in the province for Monday’s national and local elections.

Salazar issued this statement after Tuesday’s final Joint Provincial Security Coordinating Council (JPSCC) meeting.

He said the Philippine National Police (PNP) will deploy 1,486 police officers with two cops deployed to each of the 698 voting centers in the province.

Two police officers will also be deployed to 45 voting centers in Bacolod City.

The PNP will also have a Quick Reaction Force on standby to respond to any serious incidents that may occur.

Meanwhile, the 303rd Infantry Brigade (303IB) of the Philippine Army will provide a total 1,800 personnel to augment security.

The personnel are a mix of regular troops, and irregular auxiliaries from the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU).

The 303IB personnel will mainly be deployed in areas with noted presence of armed insurgents, particularly the New People’s Army (NPA) in order to foil any possible attacks or intimidation among the voters.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), meanwhile, will deploy firetrucks in strategic areas in the province to quickly respond to any emergencies.

Negros Occidental has 18 areas that have been tagged as Election Watchlist Areas (EWAs).

The 18 areas were identified as the cities of Silay, Victorias, Escalante, Himamaylan, Kabankalan and Sipalay.

Also on the list are the towns of Manapla, Toboso, Calatrava, Don Salvador Benedicto, Binalbagan, La Castellana, Isabela, Moises Padilla, Ilog, Cauayan, Candoni, and Hinoba-an.

The 18 areas were earlier tagged as EWAs either due to intense political rivalry, presence of armed groups particularly communist insurgents, or both.