CEBU, Philippines — At least 63 cities and municipalities in Central Visayas are placed under the Election Watchlist Areas (EWAs) for the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections because of history of poll-related violence, intense political rivalry, and presence of armed groups.
This was revealed during the first quarter meeting of the Visayas Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center, which is composed of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).
Included in the 63 watchlist areas in Region-7 are three cities and nine municipalities in Cebu. These are the cities of Lapu-Lapu, Bogo, and Talisay and the municipalities of Bantayan, Cordova, Daanbantayan, Dumanjug, Madridejos, San Fernando, San Francisco, Tuburan, and Sta. Fe in Bantayan Island.
"Election is fast approaching and preparations must be made as early as possible," said Lt. General Benedict Arevalo, Commander of the Visayas Command (VISCOM) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Arevalo, however, clarified that these areas are still subject to further assessment.
"Let us start assessing our EWAs, the private armed groups, and even the threats to our politicians. As we have learned, the threat to our politicians continues even after the election. So, they should be monitored not only before and during the election, but also even after the election," said Arevalo.
The areas under EWAs are classified into three—areas of concern, immediate concern, and grave concern.
Based on the classifications, the areas of concern are those areas that have had election-related incidents in the past two elections, have intense political rivalry, and have the presence of armed groups.
The areas of immediate concern are these areas where there is a presence of the NPA rebels, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), and other threat groups that may disrupt the election. Areas of grave concern, on the other hand, are these areas that have the presence of all the elements from the two other classifications.
The election period starts from August 28 to November 29, 2023 as provided for under COMELEC Resolution No. 10902. The campaign period is set from October 19 to 28 while the election day is on October 30.- FPL (FREEMAN)