PNP sees fewer ‘areas of concern’ in 2025 compared to previous elections
A police checkpoint. Inquirer file photo / Richard A. Reyes
MANILA, Philippines — There are fewer areas of concern for the 2025 midterm polls so far compared to the 2019 and 2022 elections, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.
“[In the] 2019 elections, we monitored 941 election watchlist areas or areas of concern. [For] 2022, we have 844. As of today, we are monitoring 362,” PNP Director for Police Community Relations Maj. Gen. Roderick Augustus Alba said in a press conference on Friday.
“Compared to before, it’s lower, based on our assessment for now,” PNP Public Information Office (PIO) chief Col. Randulf Tuaño, speaking in Filipino, said in the same presser.
Further, Tuaño said the current number of 362 areas of concern was lower than the 401 areas listed by authorities in the fourth quarter of 2024.
In the 2019 national elections, there were 941 areas of concern as of May 13, 2019. There were 844 areas of concern during the 2022 national elections as of May 6, 2022. So far for the 2025 polls, there are 362 areas of concern as of April 15, 2025, based on the PNP stats.
‘Red’ category areas
Of the 362 areas of concern being monitored now, 34 of them were in the “red” category, or the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) classification for areas with serious armed threats and a history of election-related incidents.
The number of “red” category areas was 38 in the last quarter of 2024; and 36 in the first quarter of 2025.
The PNP further said the number of “red” areas further decreased to 34 in April 2025 after the Comelec took control of two towns in Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur following election-related incidents in the areas.
“We’re not saying that it is foolproof that the election now will be more peaceful or secure. What we’re saying is that the decrease in the election watchlist areas is a big basis in our deployment,” Alba said in Filipino.
READ: Comelec: Fewer areas under serious threats for 2025 polls
Validated poll-related violence now at 30
Tuaño further detailed that there were now 30 validated election-related incidents (ERIs) so far with 17 days left before the 2025 midterm polls.
Of the 30 validated ERIs, 22 were violent incidents, while eight were non-violent incidents, Tuaño added without disclosing the nature of the cases.
Data shared by the PNP PIO showed that there were nine validated incidents in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), eight in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and three in Zamboanga Peninsula.
Further, there were two validated incidents each in Calabarzon, Western Visayas and Davao Region; while there was one validated incident each in Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Eastern Visayas and Soccsksargen.
Eight suspected ERIs were still being validated by police, while 20 were confirmed to be non-ERIs, according to the PNP.
READ: PNP chief Marbil wants May 2025 elections to be ‘safest’
Gun ban violators hit 2,626
The PNP on Friday likewise reported that the number of election gun ban violators rose to 2,626 as of April 24.
The violators include 2,508 civilians, 46 security guards, 18 PNP personnel, 15 Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel, 12 foreigners, nine elected government officials, six personnel of other law enforcement agencies, five Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) Active Auxiliary, three children in conflict with the law, two appointed government officials, and two communist group members.
A total of 1,338 were arrested in police response operations, 449 in anti-illegal drug operations, 187 in checkpoint operations, 177 in gun buy-bust operations, one internal security operation, and 474 other law enforcement operations.
The National Capital Region (906) had the most violators, followed by Central Luzon (334), Central Visayas (276) and Calabarzon (243).
The arrests yielded 2,708 firearms confiscated, which included:
- 1,030 revolvers
- 752 pistols
- 107 replica firearms
- 64 explosives
- 50 Class A firearms
- 31 airgun/airsoft guns
- 23 rifles
- 19 shotguns
- Nine unknown types of firearms
- Five Class B firearms
- 618 other types of firearms
READ: Gun ban starts January 12 as election period begins – PNP
Security for election day
Alba further detailed that over 120,000 personnel will be deployed by the national police force on election day, May 12.
“We will be deploying [a] substantial number of PNP personnel during election day. We have [a] considerable number, more than 120,000 personnel who will secure 37,528 voting centers across the country,” Alba said.
He further detailed that the police force trained 7,943 of its personnel to assist electoral boards, of which 3,774 will be deployed to BARMM.
“[A]ng panawagan natin ay self-restraint sa mga kandidato at lalong-lalo ay makipag-participate yung ating mga mamamayan na mapanatili na maayos at tahimik ang eleksyon na ito,” said DILG Assistant Secretary for Local Government Jesi Howard Lanete.
(Our call is for self-restraint on the part of the candidates and especially our citizens who will participate to maintain an orderly and peaceful election.)
