PNP: ‘Grave’ poll hot spots up to 94 from 19 last month

As the campaign for the May midterm elections opened on Tuesday, the Philippine National Police announced that election areas “of grave concern” had jumped to 94 from only 19 last month.

At a press conference in Camp Crame, PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde said that of 701 election hot spots nationwide, only two—Cotabato City and Daraga town in Albay—had been placed under Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) control.

Ninety-four cities and municipalities were placed under the “red” category, or areas of “grave concern;” 382 were “orange,” or areas of “immediate concern”; and 223 were “yellow,” or “areas of concern.”

“Areas under the red category exhibit the combined factors under the yellow and orange categories such that it may warrant the motu proprio declaration of Comelec control,” Albayalde said.

Yellow areas are those with election-related incidents in the last two elections and a history of intense political rivalry, and those that have been previously placed under Comelec control.

Orange areas include those with serious armed threat posed by the New People’s Army, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, Abu Sayyaf Group, rogue members of the Moro National Liberation Front or Moro Islamic Liberation Front and other groups.

Of the 94 red hot spots, 27 are in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, 19 in Bicol, seven each in Calabarzon and Western Mindanao, six each in Mimaropa and Western Visayas, five in Northern Mindanao, four each in Soccsksargen and Cordillera, three in Eastern Visayas, two each in Central Luzon and Davao, and one each in Caraga and Cagayan Valley.

Beltran killing

There were no red areas in Metro Manila or the Ilocos Region, but Albayalde noted that Mandaluyong, Manila, Caloocan, Malabon and Pasay cities were under the yellow category.

Director Guillermo Eleazar of the National Capital Region Police Office said that despite the killing of Quezon City congressional candidate Crisell Beltran last month, the city had not been classified as a hot spot.

Whether the attack on Beltran, chair of Barangay Silangan, is election-related remains unclear.

Albayalde said there were areas under the red category that could potentially be placed under Comelec control, such as Moises Padilla town in Negros Occidental province; Tabuk City in Kalinga province; San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan province; Mamburao in Occidental Mindoro province; San Lorenzo Ruiz (Imelda) in Camarines Norte province; Pio V. Corpuz in Masbate province; Datu Saudi-Ampatuan, Shariff Aguak and Shariff Saydona Mustapha towns in Maguindanao province; Sultan Dumalondong in Lanao del Sur province; and Panamao in Sulu province.

The Comelec was still deciding on the matter, he said.