Comelec logo. Graphic design by INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will announce the areas of election concern by March 31, Commissioner George Erwin Garcia said Monday.
The areas of election concern, previously called election hotspots, are places where there is potential violence or tensions between local candidates.
“So sa kasalukuyan po nag-submit sa amin ang atin pong PNP (Philippine National Police) at tsaka Armed Force[s of the Philippines] ng listahan na mga areas of concern magmula sa green, yellow, orange tsaka po ‘yung red,” Garcia said in a Laging Handa public briefing.
(Currently, our PNP and Armed Forces of the Philippines submitted a list of areas of concern from green, yellow, orange to red.)
“‘Yan po asahan po ninyo by siguro hanggang Thursday ay mag-a-announce po ang Comelec sa pamamagitan po ng en banc, i-a-announce po natin kung ano talaga ‘yung mga areas of concern, lalong lalo na ‘yung red,” he added.
(Expect that maybe by Thursday, the Comelec will announce, through the en banc, what the areas of concern are, especially the red ones.)
READ: PNP monitors six private armed groups that pose threat to 2022 polls
The Comelec has earlier listed some cities and towns as election areas of concern.
The PNP, meanwhile, shared that they are monitoring the potential use of private armed groups in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Muslim Mindanao and Soocsksargen.
The national and local elections are slated on May 9. —With reports from Jericho Zafra, INQUIRER.net trainee