The number of potential areas of concern in Negros Oriental relative to the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) has dropped to nine barangays from 27, a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official said yesterday.

The adjustment was made after the recommendation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police during the meeting of the Provincial Joint Security Coordinating Center (PJSCC) on Monday, October 2, acting Negros Oriental provincial election supervisor, lawyer Eliseo Labaria, said.

The barangays tagged under the orange category are Trinidad in Guihulngan City; Tayak and Napacao in Siaton town; Enrique Villanueva in Sibulan town; and Nagbinlod, Milagrosa, Talalak, and Buenavista in Sta. Catalina town. Under the yellow category is Barangay Cabalayongan in Basay town.

Before the latest PJSCC meeting, the body identified 26 barangays under the orange category and one under yellow out of the province’s total 557 barangays.

The election areas of concern have four categories — green, yellow, orange, and red.

Green is the least among these, with areas identified as generally peaceful and orderly with minimal security concerns.

Yellow, on the other hand, refers to areas with a history of election-related incidents in the last elections and possible employment of private/partisan armed groups.

Orange refers to areas of immediate concern with a serious armed threat, such as the presence of communist terrorist groups, and red, to areas of grave concern having all these factors.

“So far, not a single election-related incident has been reported yet in Negros Oriental and let us just hope the trend will continue as the province is already placed under Comelec control,” Labaria said.

He pointed out that while there is already a security contingency plan for the October 30 BSK polls in the province, the situation could change anytime once the campaign period starts on October 19. (PNA)