MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has adopted a color-coding scheme for areas with the highest number of poll hotspots in today’s barangay and Sanguniang Kabataan elections.
The barangays were grouped in three different color codes – red, orange and yellow.
The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has the highest number of barangays placed under code red for having security concerns or intense political rivalries, according to Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, spokesman for the PNP.
He said other factors considered in placing the villages under code red include a series of election-related violent incidents during the previous and present elections and presence of threat groups, New People’s Army and private armed groups (PAGs).
Areas under code orange include two factors in the red code and presence of NPA.
Yellow-coded areas have one of the factors in the red code and presence of NPA or PAGs.
The PNP said the ARMM has 419 barangays under the code red; followed by Bicol with 60; Central Mindanao, 42, and Southern Tagalog with 33 barangays.
Other regions like Cagayan Valley has 20 barangays under code red; the Cordilleras, 15; Northern Mindanao, 12; Western Visayas, 4; Eastern Visayas, 2, and one barangay each in Central Visayas, Caraga and Western Mindanao.
Central Luzon, Southern Mindanao, Mimaropa, Ilocos and National Capital Region have no areas placed under code red.