Comelec: Fewer areas under serious threats for 2025 polls
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has placed fewer areas under the serious threat category for the May 2025 elections compared to its data two months ago.
According to Comelec’s data, as of March 19, 36 areas are classified under the red category, or areas with serious threats and a history of election-related violence.
Thirty of the said areas are in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), two in the Negros Island region (NIR) and one each in Northern Mindanao, Eastern Visayas, Bicol region and Cagayan Valley.
Last January, the Comelec placed 38 areas under the serious threat category – 32 in the BARMM, two each in Cagayan Valley and Bicol region and one each in Western and Eastern Visayas.
Meanwhile, the Comelec classified 156 areas under the orange category or regions with serious threats.
Under this category, 35 are in Bicol, 27 in BARMM, 16 in Caraga, 13 each in Eastern Visayas and Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City), 12 each in Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) and Northern Mindanao, 10 in Zamboanga Peninsula, six in Western Visayas, five in Cagayan Valley, three in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), two in Negros Island Region and one each in Central Luzon and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon).
Previous data showed that under the orange category, 48 areas are in the Bicol region, 22 in BARMM, 17 in Caraga, 16 in Central Visayas, 15 in Cagayan Valley, 13 in Eastern Visayas, 12 in Mimaropa, 11 in Soccsksargen; nine in Western Visayas, eight in Northern Mindanao, three in Zamboanga Peninsula and one each in Central Luzon, Calabarzon and CAR.
The election body saw an increase in areas tagged under the yellow category (areas with a history of election-related incidents) from 188 to 194 and the green category (areas with no security concerns) from 1,239 to 1,256.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia noted that the latest parameters of the classification of areas of concern for the last three months are the assessment of a certain area concerning the peace and order situation and if there are reports of election-related violence.
He also said that an increase in election-related violence is expected in some areas once the campaign period for local candidates starts on March 28.
“Definitely, we’ll make another assessment later on after the start of the campaign period. Ang importante lang ngayon, mas malalaman namin kung saan kami magdedeploy ng mas maraming pwersa,” Garcia told reporters in an interview.
(Definitely, we’ll make another assessment later on after the start of the campaign period. What’s important now is we can identify the areas where we will deploy more forces.)
He added that they deployed personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police in Maguindanao and Cotabato City to ensure peace and safety amid threats of election-related violence in the two areas.
