BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — The office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Central Visayas is considering the suspension of the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in Negros Oriental, according to the Army’s Visayas Command (VisCom).
As this developed, Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said he would visit the province for the conduct of public consultations in different barangays regarding the proposed poll postponement.
Garcia said Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. would accompany him during the visit.
Garcia said he would also ask Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Andres Centino to join them.
The public consultations will be conducted for two weeks amid recommendations to defer the barangay and SK elections because of peace and order concerns following the killing of governor Roel Degamo on March 4.
In a meeting at Camp Lapu-Lapu in Cebu City, officials of the joint security control committee (JSCC) announced that Garcia would visit the province to assess the prevailing peace and order situation.
The JSCC discussed preparations for the elections in October.
The meeting was attended by top officials of the VisCom, Area Police Command-Visayas, Comelec and Philippine Coast Guard.
Earlier, Sen. Francis Tolentino, Pamplona town Mayor Janice Degamo and Dumaguete Mayor Felipe Remollo expressed support for the postponement of the elections in Negros Oriental. — Evelyn Macairan