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15 nabbed for gun ban violations, peaceful polls in NegOcc seen

Col. Rainerio de Chavez*

The Negros Occidental and Bacolod City police have arrested 15 persons for violation of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) gun ban.

There were 10 persons arrested for violation of the gun ban in Negros Occidental, Col. Rainerio de Chavez, provincial police director, said on Tuesday, Jan 28.

There were five others who were arrested in Bacolod City, Col. Joeresty Coronica, Bacolod police director, said.

De Chavez said so far the police have no identified areas of concern for the May polls in Negros Occidental.

The police findings show that Negros Occidental remains in the green category or peaceful with no election security threat, he said.

Comelec Commissioner Aimee Ferolino, who heads the Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Concerns, earlier said that in Negros Occidental Isabela and San Enrique are classified as yellow and Calatrava, Cauayan and Sipalay City as orange.

An area is classified as yellow if there is an occurrence of a suspected election-related incident in the last two elections and the existence of intense partisan political rivalry with no participation of domestic terror groups.

An area is classified as orange if there is a combination of two or more factors under category yellow, or serious armed threats posed by communist terrorist groups and/or other threat groups as may be declared by a competent authority.

The Provincial Joint Security Control Center will meet again to reassess the situation in Negros Occidental, de Chavez said.

The classifications set by the Comelec will serve as a guide for security preparations, he said.

De Chavez expects the elections in Negros Occidental to be peaceful.

They have not received information that the remaining New People’s Army rebels will be an election threat, he also said.

The police campaign for candidates in the towns and cities of Negros Occidental to sign peace covenants has started in Valladolid, he added.*

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