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Guihulngan City and La Libertad town are the only two of the 63 cities and towns in the Negros Island Region classified as critical areas
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday, May 8, placed Guihulngan City and La Libertad town in Negros Oriental on its red category list due to security threats posed by communist rebels just days before election day.
The two areas fall within the 1st District of Negros Oriental, long dominated by the Limkaichong political clan and represented in Congress by Jocelyn “Josy” Limkaichong.
Guihulngan and La Libertad are the only two out of 63 cities and towns in the Negros Island Region (NIR) classified as “critical” under Comelec’s color-coded watchlist system, according to Comelec-NIR director Lionil Marco Castillano.
A red classification signals direct threats from armed groups like the New People’s Army (NPA), placing an area just below the most critical category – Comelec control – in terms of election security risk.
In response, the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Army deployed more troops to these areas to beef up security measures in time for next week’s elections.
Castillano said the police and military would also step up intelligence-gathering and monitoring operations in Guihulngan and La Libertad.
Lieutenant Stephen Polinar, spokesperson for the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NORPPO), said an augmentation force of 30 police officers each has been deployed to Guihulngan and La Libertad from the Bacolod City Police Office in Negros Occidental.
“NORPPO wants to ensure that all the polling precincts in Guihulngan and La Libertad will be secure on May 12,” Polinar said.
Aside from the two red-listed areas, Comelec also classified 23 areas in Negros Oriental and five in Negros Occidental as “areas of concern,” placing them under either the orange or yellow categories.
Orange indicates a serious threat from armed groups, while yellow flags areas with a history of election-related incidents.
Castillano cited two incidents that contributed to the red listing: the killing of a village councilor in Guihulngan and the burning of heavy equipment in La Libertad.
On December 23, 2024, Dennis Malabago Sadagnot, a village councilor from Barangay T-Hill, Guihulngan, was gunned down by still unidentified motorcycle-riding assailants. The incident was believed by authorities as politically motivated.
On February 8, several pieces of heavy equipment – including two backhoes, a payloader, and a dump truck – were set ablaze in Sitio Manghaya, Barangay Aya, La Libertad. The NPA’s Leonardo Panaligan Command claimed responsibility for the attack.
“[These] incidents are enough reasons to place both [areas] under the red category,” said Castillano.
Guihulngan and La Libertad are under a congressional district where the Limkaichongs are prominent figures in the May 12 elections. Term-limited Representative Limkaichong is running for mayor of Guihulngan, challenging reelectionist Filomeno “Mikoy” Reyes.
Meanwhile, La Libertad Mayor Emmanuel Limkaichong Iway, a nephew of town Vice Mayor Lawrence “Dodong” Limkaichong, is seeking to succeed her in Congress, facing Francisco Mijares III. Lawrence is the husband of the congresswoman.
Lawrence is also running for mayor in La Libertad, up against Woody Gallosa.
The remaining 27 cities and towns in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, and all six towns in Siquijor have been placed under the “green category,” indicating no current threats or history of election-related violence.
To secure the NIR – comprising Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor – the military and police have mobilized 7,000 security personnel, said Brigadier General Thomas Arnold Ibay, the police director the region.
Brigadier General Michael Samson, commander of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division and head of Joint Task Force Spear, said 3,922 soldiers and 91 mobility assets were deployed across the region. – Rappler.com
