NegOr remains Comelec’s concern

Negros Oriental remains a Comelec concern, Comelec Negros Island Region (NIR) Regional Director Atty. Leonil Marco Castillano said.

He said there is no political closure yet in Negros Oriental and that’s the reason the regional office of NIR is temporarily stationed in that province.

However, Castillano said they have not monitored aby presence of private armed groups in NegOrand that, so far there is no politics-related incidents reported.

He said the security situation in NegOr would be determined after the filing of Certificates of Candidacy.

The security concern in the Oriental is still related to the killings of the late Governor Roel Degamo and nine others on March 4, 2023.

Negros Oriental was put under Comelec control during the October 30, 2023 Barangay election.

HONORARIA

Meanwhile Castillano revealed that he was instructed by Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia to find means to pay the honoraria of teachers amounting to P5,000 each for serving as support staff during the recent barangay elections.

Still unpaid are 616 teachers-support staff in Kabankalan City and 225 in Himamaylan City.

“We want to assure the safety of teachers serving the elections. We already made representations with the mayors of Kabankalan and Himamaylan regarding the matter,” Castillano said.* (NBCG)