Papalo na sa 941 lugar sa bansa ang tinukoy ng pambansang pulisya bilang mga election hotspots.
Ayon kay PNP Chief Dir/Gen. Oscar Albayalde, binubuo aniya ito ng 131 lungsod at bayan na nasa ilalim ng yellow category o areas of immediate concern.
238 lugar naman ang isinailalim sa orange category o areas of immediate concern habang 570 lugar naman ang inilagay sa red category o election areas of grave concern.
Bukod pa rito ang dalawang lugar sa bansa tulad ng Cotabato City at Daraga sa Albay na isinailalim na sa kontrol ng COMELEC o Commission on Elections.
Habang wala namang mga lugar sa Metro Manila at Ilocos region ang nailagay sa red category.
“As of March 20, 2019, 118 red areas are identified in ARMM, 93 areas in Northern Mindanao, 73 areas in CARAGA region, 72 in Zamboanga Peninsula, 47 areas each in Davao region and SOCCSKSARGEN, 45 areas in Eastern Visayas, 28 areas in Cordillera Region, 21 areas in Bicol region, 5 areas in CALABARZON, 4 in Central Luzon, and there are 2 in Western Visayas, and one area in Cagayan Valley region and Central Visayas respectively.”
Kasunod nito, sinabi ni Albayalde na may ihihigpit pa sila sa pagpapatupad ng seguridad lalo pa’t nalalapit na ang pagsisimula ng panahon ng kampaniya para sa lokal na posisyon.
“Friday, March 29 is the start of campaign period for local candidates and our focused police operations will be intensified against private armed groups, criminal gangs, wanted persons, gun for hire groups, loose firearms and violation of COMELEC gun ban through service of warrant of arrest, implementation of search warrants, checkpoint operations, police patrol and responds, and ‘Oplan Sita’, ‘Oplan Bakal’ and ‘Oplan Galugad’ including high value targets on illegal drugs.”