LANAO del Sur has the highest number of election areas placed under the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) highest security classification ahead of the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections, with 21 localities tagged under the red category.
The latest Election Areas of Concern (EAC) classification showed that 27 areas across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) were placed under the red category, 21 of which are in Lanao del Sur.
Under the EAC classification, red areas are those with serious threats arising from armed groups, intense political rivalry or a history of election-related violence that warrant the highest level of security attention.
Meanwhile, orange areas have the presence of armed threats, yellow areas have a history of election-related incidents, while green areas are generally considered peaceful and free from significant election security concerns.
Apart from the red areas, Lanao del Sur also recorded 14 yellow and five orange areas, giving the province the highest number of election areas requiring heightened security monitoring in the region.
Maguindanao del Sur recorded the second-highest number of red areas with three, along with 14 orange and seven yellow areas.
Basilan and Maguindanao del Norte each had one red area, while Basilan also listed five yellow, two orange and four green areas.
Maguindanao del Norte recorded nine yellow and three orange areas.
The Special Geographic Areas (SGA) posted one red, three orange and four yellow areas.
Tawi-Tawi, meanwhile, remained the only BARMM province with no areas under the yellow, orange or red categories, with all 11 municipalities classified under the green category.
Overall, the latest EAC list placed 15 areas under the green category, 39 under yellow, 27 under orange and 27 under red.
The EAC classification serves as a guide for election security preparations, with areas under the higher categories receiving closer monitoring and additional security measures during the election period.