Comelec: No NPA disruption in May 12 polls

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Negros Island Region has assured the public that there are no indications of the New People's Army (NPA) disrupting the May 12 elections despite recent armed clashes.

A candle-lighting ceremony was held at the University of the Philippines (UP)-Cebu to honor Jhon Isidor Supelanas, one of seven fatalities in a series of military-NPA encounters in Barangay Tapi, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental on April 27.

Comelec-NIR Regional Director Lionel Marco Castillano said that the recent military operations have eased tensions in the region and no polling centers were affected by the incidents.

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson stated that the province remains free of election-related violence, with ongoing preparations for May 12 across local government units (LGUs).

High-ranking officials from the Philippine Army assured during a meeting that sufficient personnel will be deployed for election security, including potential disaster scenarios like an Alert Level 4 eruption of Mt. Kanlaon.