‘Remove Himamaylan from List of Poll Areas of Concern

Himamaylan City Mayor Raymund Tongson said that he wants the city to be removed from the list of election areas of concern in the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections slated October 30.

While admitting that there is an insurgency problem in the far-flung area of Himamaylan, Tongson said he believes that the coming barangay and SK elections “will be peaceful. ”

There is no need for the inclusion of Himamaylan in the list of areas of concern, the mayor said.

One or two hinterland barangays of Himamaylan had been the venue of armed encounters between government forces and members of the New People’s Army.

Tongson also said that “although there have been challenges in the peace and order situation in the city, we took these as opportunities to strive more.”

As proof that the peace and order situation in the city is stable, he cited the recent opening of new businesses.

Lawyer Ian Lee Ananoria, the provincial election supervisor, earlier said that the Commission on Elections (Comelec), with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will come up with a list of the election watchlist areas, or EWAs, after the filing of the Certificates of Candidacy (CoCs).

Ananoria said he will wait until after the filing of the CoCs to determine what are the hotly contested areas.

The filing of the CoC is set from August 28 to September 2 based on the revised schedule of activities for the coming election.

Ananoria said the Comelec national office has not yet given the go signal for the activation of the Joint Security Control Center (JSCC), which will be composed of Comelec, the PNP and the AFP.

On April 3, 17 local government units in Negros Occidental were included among the 158 election watchlist areas in the Visayas.

The list was submitted during the first quarter Visayas JSCC meeting in Cebu City.

The 17 localities in Negros Occidental are Don Salvador Benedicto — an area of concern; Silay City, Victorias City, Toboso, Binalbagan, Himamaylan City, Kabankalan City, Hinoba-an, Sipalay City, Isabela, La Castellana, Calatrava, Ilog and Cauayan — areas of immediate concern; and Candoni, Moises Padilla and Escalante City — areas of grave concern.

Ananoria said the list and determination could be part of their routine work and based on the parameters like insurgency set by the military.

“We will definitely discuss and reconcile the list once the local JSCC is convened,” Ananoria said.
Once the national JSCC is convened, it will cascade to the local situation, he said.* (Eugene Y. Adiong)