Puerto Princesa has been declared under the yellow category of the election area of concern in the alert level system of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) due to its history of political unrest, according to the city police office.
P/Col. Roberto Bucad, acting director of the Puerto Princesa City Police Office (PPCPO), said in an interview Tuesday morning that the city was declared in the yellow category because of election-related incidents in 2016.
“Sa eleksyon wala kaming hotspot na barangay. Ang Puerto Princesa because of recorded violent incidents last election ng 2016, na declare tayo na yellow,” Bucad said.
The killing of two men in separate confrontations between supporters of competing political factions fighting for city mayoral and congressional positions was the incident Bucad was referring to.
The fatalities were Diosdado Basas, 31, and Alfredo Rodriguez, both identified as supporters of Palawan congressional candidate Gil Acosta and mayoral candidate Lucilo Bayron.
Unde COMELEC Resolution No. 10481, being placed under the yellow category means the area has “occurrences of suspected election-related incident (ERI) in the last two elections provided there’s no domestic participation of terror groups; existence of intense partisan political rivalry with no participation of terror groups; partisan employment of PAGs or private armed groups by the candidates; occurrence of politically-motivated ERI in the current election period with no participation of domestic terror groups; and previous declaration under COMELEC control.”
On the implementation of a nationwide gun ban, the elections commission deployed 12 checkpoints every day in strategic locations of Puerto Princesa City, according to Bucad, while 24-hour checkpoints are maintained in Brgy. San Pedro and Brgy. Tiniguiban.
“Mayroon tayong 12 checkpointsat dalawa dito 24 hours na makikita diyan sa Tiniguiban area (JIL) at dito sa Barangay San Pedro national Highway sa Hotel centro banda”, Bucad said.
The gun prohibition is in effect the whole election season, making it illegal to carry firearms or lethal weapons outside of one’s home, place of business, or any public location.