By JEN BAYLON

The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) will conduct assessments on the presence of armed groups in the province in preparation for the 2025 midterm elections.

The initiative aims to evaluate the potential impact of these groups on electoral processes.

NOCPPO director, Colonel Rainerio de Chavez, said the assessment was decided following an encounter between military forces and members of the dismantled Northern Negros Front in Calatrava town’s Barangay Winaswasan yesterday morning.

Six remnants of the armed group engaged in the encounter, Lt. Colonel Arnel Calaoagan, commanding officer of the 79th Infantry Battalion, said in a report.

De Chavez said the encounters highlight the need to understand how the presence of armed groups may affect security and public safety during the elections.

Calaoagan further reveals that the group is led by Arnel Tapang, who has a bounty of P1 million on his head.

Tapang has been linked to several violent incidents in the area.

The military’s ongoing operations, supported by community assistance, aim to identify areas potentially reclaimed by rebels./JB, WDJ