Comelec to candidates: Don't resort to violence | The Freeman

CEBU, Philippines — Dumaguete City The Commission on Election (Comelec) for the newly-formed Negros Island Region (NIR) is asking for candidates in the upcoming 2025 midterm election to help maintain the peace by not resorting to violence and intimidation tactics.

This was the request of Comelec-NIR Regional Director, Atty. Lionel Marco Castillano, when asked on the current peace and safety situation in the region, which he said has been peaceful since the start of registration of voters and the filing of Certificate of Candidacy (COC).

“We would appeal to our candidates not to resort to forced violence and intimidation. Because in the end, it would not be good for Negros Region to (be) placed under Comelec Control as it would connote a bad reputation that the place is not peaceful considering that Negros Oriental is a retirees’ haven,” said Castillano.

“Foreigners are coming here to retire, investment opportunities abound, so it would not be good for the economy and tourism,” he added.

Castillano has earlier disclosed the possibility of having the NIR under Comelec control, the same way it was during last year’s Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) election. Fortunately, no election-related incident was recorded during the BSKE.

According to Comelec Resolution 3618, putting a place under Comelec control has several grounds, including those with “intense political rivalry between or among candidates; political factions or parties; or the presence of paramilitary forces, private armies or identifiable armed bands widely perceived to have committed terrorism; fraud or other election irregularities in past electoral exercises, or other analogous circumstances that threaten or tend to disrupt the holding of free, peaceful, honest, orderly and credible elections.”

But Castillano clarified that it’s only a possibility and the assessment would be done after the filing of the COCs.

“The possibility is there but you must remember the assessment of our police and military…karon is wala naman private armed groups sa Negros Oriental, Occidental and Siquijor. Hopefully this will be sustained,” the Comelec official said.

The Comelec placed Negros Oriental under Comelec