Police name 25 ‘election areas of concern’ in Bohol

Col. Osmundo Salibo, chie of the Bohol Police Provincial Office. (Photo by LEO UDTOHAN / Inquirer Visayas)

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Philippines — The police in Bohol have identified 25 localities in the province under “election areas of concern.”

Police Col. Osmundo Salibo, director of the Bohol Police Provincial Office, said seven towns — Balilihan, Tubigon, Clarin, Inabanga, Batuan, Bilar, and Sevilla — were placed under the orange category, or areas that are known for the presence of communist rebels and private armed groups.

Eighteen towns were placed under the yellow category, or areas where there is a history of election-related incidents in the past two elections as well as the presence of intense political rivalry. These were the towns of Antequera, Baclayon, Calape, Catigbian, Bien Unido, Buenavista, Danao, Sagbayan, San Isidro, San Miguel, Talibon, Trinidad, Ubay, Carmen, Garcia Hernandez, Guindulman, Mabini and Pilar.

Bohol has 47 towns and one city with a population of 1.3 million.

Salibo said no town in the island province was placed under the red category — or areas with grave concern.

He said there was no cause for alarm even if some areas in Bohol were placed under areas of concern, as the “categorization is just to know where most of the augmentation will take place considering the limited resources of the police.”

He assured that the areas that were not identified as election hot spots would still be secured by the police.

According to the Commission on Elections, a town or city may be categorized as an area of concern if it has a history of poll-related violence and the occurrence of intense political rivalries.

Areas of immediate concern are those known for the presence of communist rebels and/or private armed groups. Areas of grave concern are a combination of the factors identified in areas of concern and immediate concern.

The campaign period for candidates in local elective positions, including members of the House of Representatives as well as regional, provincial, city, and municipal officials begins on March 25 and ends on May 7, or two days before the national and local elections.

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