Comelec reverification of election ‘areas of concern’ ongoing

Comelec seal and building

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has yet to release a list of election “areas of concern” as reverification efforts are underway, Comelec Commissioner George Garcia said.

Areas of concern are classified as either green, yellow, orange, or red, depending on the intensity of potential violence between local candidates.

“As of today, may mga sinubmit na po sa amin (there are areas submitted to us). As of today, wala pa pong (there is no) en banc resolution formally declaring these areas of concern,” Garcia said in a press briefing.

According to Garcia, Comelec Chairman Saidamen Pangarungan finds reverification of the areas necessary before issuing a list.

“The chairman deemed it necessary to, for the last time, order a reverification, not from the [Philippine National Police] or [Armed Forces of the Philippines], but from our own people,” said Garcia.

“We want it to be very, very careful because we do not want to hurt the regularity of the lives of the people in that particular area,” he added.

He committed that the list will be announced at the soonest possible time.

Power outlook

Meanwhile, Garcia said electric cooperatives have assured a sufficient power outlook on election day.

“So far, ‘yung mga electric cooperatives, maganda naman ‘yung kanilang—maganda ‘yung power outlook nila. Sufficient up to the end of May even,” Garcia said.

(So far, our electric cooperatives have a good power outlook.)

“‘Wag kayo mag-alala. ‘Yung ating battery—‘yung back-up battery ng ating mga vote-counting machines (VCMs), wala tayong problem doon,” he went on.

(Don’t worry. We do not have a problem with the back-up batteries of our vote-counting machines.)

Garcia added that voting will still continue even during a power outage as the VCMs have back-up batteries.

/MUF