South Cotabato. Map courtesy of Google
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 27 October) – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in South Cotabato province expects a peaceful and orderly polling for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan on Monday, Oct. 30, even as authorities intensify security monitoring in 22 barangays that were identified as election areas of concern.
Lawyer Jay Gerada, provincial election supervisor, said Friday the security plan and related strategies for the entire province are already in place, with security deployment in polling areas scheduled starting on Sunday.
He said the Regional Joint Security Control Center earlier approved the deployment of additional police and Army personnel to secure the 22 barangays assessed as under the orange category or areas of concern.
Eight of these barangays are in Tboli town, seven in Polomolok, five in Lake Sebu, and two in Banga.
“Some of these are far-flung areas like Barangay Tudok in Tboli, there’s also Barangay Ned in Lake Sebu, which is a big area, and other areas that have recorded intense political rivalry. But the underlying denominator is that we have not recorded any previous election-related violence in these areas and we’re hoping to maintain that for this coming election,” he said in a radio interview.
Gerada said none among the province’s 199 barangays was named under the red category or election watchlist areas, and the remaining barangays are all under the green category or generally peaceful villages.
South Cotabato has a total of 5,957 polling precincts spread across its 10 municipalities and lone city.
In the May 2022 local and national elections, Comelec listed a total of 975,541 registered voters in the province, with a voting turnout of 786,969 or 80.67 percent.
Gerada assured that they are all set for the conduct of the elections on Monday, including the necessary contingencies.
“We are all ready. The supplies are now with the treasurer’s offices. All teachers serving as electoral board members are 100 percent trained, and the schools identified as polling centers are also prepared,” he added. (Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)
