With Negros Oriental placed under Comelec control to ensure the peaceful conduct of synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections on October 30, the Army’s 302nd Infantry Brigade has already prepared security plans.
Brig. Gen. Joey Escanillas, 302nd Infantry Brigade commander, said that the Joint Provincial Security Coordinating Center has already laid its security plans.
Escanillas said that they are now awaiting the guidelines from the Commission on Elections.
By placing an area under its control, the Comelec will have direct supervision over government entities in the area and has full control over all its law enforcement agencies during the election period.
Negros Oriental is consists of six cities, 19 municipalities, and 557 barangays.
The postponement of the Oct. 30 elections was earlier pushed by some local officials in Negros Oriental due to security-related concerns, following the murder of Gov. Roel Degamo.
Soldiers are on standby and will be deployed if the need arises, Visayas Command chief Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo disclosed earlier.
“We have a contingency for this situation. We have been planning and making the necessary coordination since March. We are prepared and have enough personnel to support the Comelec and PNP,” Arevalo said.
Provincial Election Supervisor Atty. Eliseo Labaria disclosed that the number of potential areas of concern in Negros Oriental have dropped to nine barangays from 27, as adjustments were made after the recommendations of the JPSCC.
(Gilbert Bayoran via The Visayan Daily Star (TVDS), photo courtesy of TVDS)
