Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. on Tuesday said the police force has committed to beefing up security measures in 108 areas tagged by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as ‘areas of concern’ for the first-ever parliamentary polls in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) scheduled this coming Sept. 14.
‘Ensuring the peaceful elections in BARMM is a continuing process. Security measures are in place, but regular monitoring and real-time adjustments are being done based on the situation on the ground,’ he added.
The classification covers areas facing varying levels of security risks that could affect the conduct of the polls.
Comelec classifies red zones as areas marked by severe risks and previous violent incidents that may warrant increased election oversight, while orange zones are areas confronted with serious armed security challenges.
Yellow zones are areas with a documented history of election-related disturbances, while green zones are considered secure localities with no identified security threats.
Lanao del Sur has the highest number of red zones with 21, followed by Maguindanao del Sur with 11 orange zones. Maguindanao del Norte and Basilan have areas classified from low to high risk, while Tawi-Tawi remains relatively secure and stable.
‘The goal has always been to provide the safest environment for all our kababayan in the area to freely choose their next leaders, and eventually prove that BARMM is way different now compared to what it was known in the past, especially during elections,’ Nartatez stressed.
He also said the PNP will also strengthen coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines as part of its election security preparations.
‘We call on the public to remain alert and vigilant and report to authorities if they find any suspicious individuals or groups that may threaten security,’ he added.
Around 400 candidates are vying for 86 positions in the autonomous region’s first parliamentary elections.
The elections will be held in Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur and Tawi-Tawi, Cotabato City and more than 63 barangays in Cotabato classified as special geographic areas.