Calinog Declared ‘Area of Concern’ for May Polls; But List is Not Yet Final

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has identified Calinog, Iloilo, as an area of concern for the May 2025 midterm elections, marking it as the only town in Western Visayas under this designation.

Calinog was placed in the red category, indicating serious armed threats and a history of election-related incidents.

Atty. Reinier Layson, Provincial Election Supervisor IV of Comelec-Iloilo, told Daily Guardian that the classification stemmed from an election-related incident recorded during the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in October 2023.

Layson also cited ongoing encounters between state forces and communist terrorist groups in the area as a factor for the red category designation.

However, he clarified that the list of areas of concern is preliminary and may change depending on evolving circumstances.

“This list is just an initial list. It will not be final. We will be working to de-escalate the situation,” Layson said.

He added that authorities would validate the presence of communist groups in Calinog to ensure the safe and peaceful conduct of the elections.

“With the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Comelec working together, this is an opportunity for us to better secure the elections,” he stressed.

In Western Visayas, 16 areas were categorized as orange (serious armed threats) and seven as yellow (a history of election-related incidents).