Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Friday. September 22, that he is confident the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls in Negros Occidental on October 30 will be peaceful despite the declaration of 51 barangays in the province as election areas of concern.
There is no need to be alarmed because declaration of areas of concern does not necessarily mean intense political rivalry between the candidates, other factors are also considered, he said.
“We should not be alarmed,” he said.
The Regional Joint Security Control Center (RJSCC) approved the declaration of 172 barangays in Western Visayas as election areas of concern during its command conference at Camp Martin Delgado in Iloilo City on Thursday.
Of the 172 barangays, 51 are in Negros Occidental, Regional Election Director Dennis Ausan said.
Three barangays in Negros Occidental were tagged as red or areas of grave concern, 45 as orange or areas of immediate concern and three as yellow or areas of concern.*