Investors must not fear investing in areas with serious threats – Garcia
Election gun ban. INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines — Investors should not be discouraged from investing in certain places identified as “areas of concern” under the “red category,” Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia said on Tuesday.
According to Garcia, the categorization of areas is only meant for the poll body and the Philippine National Police.
He said this classification is for easier deployment of law enforcers in communities where there are threats and where violence may occur.
“Ituloy nyo po yung inyong pag i-invest sa area na yan. Wala pong dapat ikatakot. Sa amin po addressed yung kulay kulay na yan at hindi sa mga tao dyan,” Garcia said in a press conference.
(Continue investing in that area. There is nothing to be scared of. The colors are addressed to us and not to the local citizens.)
READ: Comelec names 38 places as areas under serious threats in 2025 elections
The Comelec previously identified 38 areas of concern under the red category due to grave threats and concerns amid the preparations for the 2025 elections.
Thirty-two areas are under the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, two each in Cagayan Valley and Bicol region, and one each in Western and Eastern Visayas.
Garcia also said that the citizens living in these areas should have nothing to fear.
“Yung mga tao dyan, porket kayo ay naka red category, wala kayong dapat ikabahala sapagkat ibig sabihin lang nyan, mabilis ang aksyon ng pulis at Armed Forces at ng Comelec,” Garcia added.
(For citizens in areas placed under the red category, there is nothing to worry about because it means that the police, Armed Forces, and Comelec will act fast.)
He explained that the designation of areas placed under the red category is not just based on recent killings or threats.
It is also used as a reference to the record of past election-related violence against local politicians, local government unit officials or local Comelec officers even before the election period.
READ: More cops to secure high risk areas as 2025 polls campaign starts
“May posibilidad na magbago yung categorization sa mga susunod na araw at panahon lalo pa pag nalalapit yung halalan, nagkakaroon ng violence sa isang area,” Garcia noted.
(There is a possibility that the categorization will change in the coming days, especially when election day nears, and violence happens in an area.)
However, he clarified that no places are currently under the Comelec control as the country is “relatively peaceful.”
The poll body can declare an area under its direct control if it has a history of election irregularities, intense political rivalry, presence of private armed groups or bands, or if there are fears or threats that the election process will be disrupted.
