THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced on Tuesday late afternoon it will take control over the municipality of Daraga, Albay, and Cotabato City following the reported incidents of violence in both areas in previous weeks.
In a news statement, Comelec Spokesman James B. Jimenez said the Comelec en banc finally decided through two separate resolutions to place both areas under their supervision until the end of the election period for the 2019 polls. Comelec en banc Resolution 10479 placed Daraga, Albay, under Comelec control in response to the brutal killing of Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Rodel M. Batocabe on December 22, 2018.
Meanwhile, Comelec en banc Resolution 10480 allowed the poll body to take control of Cotabato City following a explosion there, which caused several casualties and “sowed fear among its citizens.”
“Comelec control shall be effective immediately upon publication of the resolution,” Jimenez said.
Jimenez explained the poll body usually exercises its power to take control of an area to ensure that “no local partisan group gets to enjoy an advantage over others.”
He, however, said areas under Comelec control are different from the areas declared by the Philippine National Police (PNP) or Armed Forces of the Philippines as election hot spots.
“When the PNP declares that a place is a hot spot, all it means is that there will be a greater police alertness and readiness in the place for various reasons,” Jimenez said.