By JEN BAYLON
The Police Regional Office in the Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) will be deploying additional personnel to augment the existing police forces in Negros Oriental, guaranteeing a safe and secure electoral process in the May 12 midterm elections.
During the NIR Regional Joint Security Coordinating Center meeting on Monday, April 28, Lionel Marco Castillano, director of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in NIR, emphasized the resolution of a critical issue affecting election security: The shortage of police personnel in Negros Oriental.
Castillano said the 310 police personnel needed for the midterm elections in Negros Oriental will be taken from the Bacolod City Police Office.
“What we really solved was the lack of police personnel here in Negros Oriental. It’s a good thing we now have PRO-NIR,” Castillano said.
“It’s easier to deploy personnel to cover the shortage in NIR,” he said.
Additional units from the Philippine National Police, including the Special Action Force and the Regional Mobile Force Battalion, will also be deployed on May 12.
Negros Oriental has more than 1,400 police officers assigned to ensure a peaceful and orderly voting process.
Castillano added that the personnel deployment will happen three days before the election.
This strategic redeployment aims to fill the gap in security forces and ensure adequate coverage across the province during the election period.
With 12 days left before the midterm elections, the Comelec-NIR has taken decisive steps to address security concerns, focusing on police deployment and election hotspots.
‘Potential threat’
Meanwhile, Castillano addressed concerns following an armed encounter in Negros Occidental’s Kabankalan City between the government troops and remnants of the New People’s Army on Sunday, April 27.
He described the incident as a “positive development for election security.”
“Actually, it’s a good thing that happened before the election because it was only a potential threat. We cannot say they are interfering with the election, but at least we minimized the problem,” Castillano said.
The Comelec-NIR director said the recent encounter has helped reduce potential threats and reassured voters of their safety in the region.
“For us, it’s a positive thing. There were no affected voting centers there, so the election in Negros Occidental should make people feel safe,” he pointed out.
When asked about the presence of intense political rivalry or private armed groups in Negros Oriental, Castillano assured the public, “So far, it’s really quiet. There are no monitored private armed groups in the whole NIR.”
Areas of concern
Meanwhile, the Comelec en banc has approved the classification of Guihulngan City and La Libertad in Negros Oriental under the Red Category, which indicates that the areas have serious armed threats and a history of election-related incidents.
“The en banc will still release the approved election areas of concern, probably within this week or next week. These areas will serve as a guide for deploying security forces where they are most needed,” Castillano said.
The rest of Negros Oriental is categorized under the Yellow Category, indicating a lower level of threat but still requiring vigilance.
Candoni town in Negros Occidental is under consideration for an “orange” classification, which denotes serious armed threats but has yet to be finalized.
The Comelec-NIR continues to work closely with the police and military to secure the elections, including contingency plans for natural disasters such as the recent Kanlaon Volcano eruption.
Transmission devices for vote counting have been secured and protected to uphold the integrity of the automated election process./JB, WDJ