The Bohol Provincial Police Office (BPPO) pinpointed 27 towns in Bohol as potential hotspots in the elections on May 9.
BPPO spokesperson Zen Cheung said two towns in the province were placed under the red category, indicating that these are areas of grave concern, while 19 and six were classified under the orange and yellow categories, respectively.
Cheung however did not identify the towns pending verification from the Commission on Elections.
“Data pa ni sa PNP na potential [hotsports], e-validate pa man ni sa Coemelec,” said Cheung.
Cheung explained that localities are classified as yellow, orange, red or green which means that an area is considered “peaceful.”
The color-coded classification was first observed by the Comelec in the 2019 elections.
According to the Comelec, areas classified under yellow had violent incidents in previous elections; under orange, with armed and rebel groups; and those with both concerns are red or “critical areas.”
Meanwhile, both the BPPO and the Philippine Army (PA) have both deployed state forces to help maintain peace and order in the province during the election and days leading to it.
Lieutenant Giovani Payomo, civil military operations officer of the PA’s 47th Infantry Battalion (IB), said they have been on heightened alert against activities of the New People’s Army and other armed groups.
He said that so far, they have not detected movements of armed groups out to carry out election-related violence.
The 47th IB has also been assisting in the implementation of Comelec gun ban checkpoints across the province.
“Continuous ang coordination nato with the Comelec sa kada lungsod, hasta pud sa PNP. Naa pud tay personnel sa mga checkpoints,” he said. (R. Tuitas with AD)