Davao City Mayor and vice presidential candidate, Sara Duterte during a campaign rally at the Pasig Mega Market on March 26, 2022. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Monday it may release on Thursday the list of "areas of election concern" or places where election-related violence are likely to happen.
"Sa kasalukuyan po nag-submit sa amin ang PNP, AFP ng listahan ng mga areas of concern magmula sa green, yellow, orange at red," Comelec Commissioner George Garcia said in a Laging Handa briefing.
While some provincial police units have already come out with their own lists of election hotspots, the Comelec has yet to do so with just over a month before the May 9 polls.
"Asahan po ninyo siguro hanggang Thursday ay mag-a-announce po ang Comelec sa pamamagitan ng en banc kung ano yung mga areas of concern, lalo na yung red na bibigyan natin ng pagtutok at pagtuon dahil sa mataas na posibilidad na magkaroon ng violence o matindi talaga yung mga awayan ng kandidato lalo pag sa lokal," Garcia said.
Since 2018, the Comelec has been using a color coding system to determine the degree of election-related violence linked to a particular area.
Green means there is no cause for concern in the area.
Areas tagged yellow are those that have a history of election-related violence, while orange areas are those with armed and rebel groups.
Red areas, meanwhile, are "critical areas" in which conditions exist that may warrant a declaration of Comelec control.
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