GENERAL SANTOS, Philippines – About 70% of villages designated as areas of grave security concern are in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The special region comprises 2,532 barangays spread across the provinces of Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, and Maguindanao del Sur, as well as the cities of Cotabato, Marawi, Lamitan, and Isabela.

Bangsamoro police director Brigadier General Allan Nobleza said the areas of grave security concern in the BARMM are mostly located in the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, and the region’s Special Geographic Area (SGA) in Cotabato province.

Of these BARMM barangays, the police identified around 984 villages as areas of security concern at varying levels.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has four levels of security concerns, assigning colors for each – red for grave security concern, orange for immediate security concern, yellow for security concern, and green for the absence of any security concern.

Those that fall under the red category are to be closely monitored because of the potential threat.

In a media briefing in early October, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported that BARMM has 249 barangays under the red category, around 70% of the 357 red category barangays nationwide.

On September 20, Comelec reported 147 red category barangays in the special region.

Nationwide, there were 1,323 under the orange category, 1,231 in yellow, and the remaining 39,114 barangays under the green category.

Next to BARMM as having the highest number of red category villages is Eastern Visayas with about 60 barangays, while Bicol region comes third with 21 barangays.

Comelec Commissioner Aimee Ferolino said in September that following BARMM as having the most red category villages are Eastern Visayas with 60 barangays and Bicol Region with 21. Five are in Soccsksargen, four in Cagayan Valley, three in Western Visayas, and one each in Central Luzon and Zamboanga Peninsula.

Of 1,254 barangays tagged as under the orange category, most are located in the Bicol Region at 317, followed by Western Visayas with 166, Northern Mindanao with 156, and 152 in Soccsksargen.

A total of 121 barangays were tagged as under the orange category in Caraga, followed by BARMM with 106, Mimaropa with 80, Eastern Visayas with 52, Cagayan Valley with 41, Central Visayas has 35, Zamboanga Peninsula has 15, Calabarzon with seven, and six in Central Luzon.

Orange category areas are usually facing serious threats from local armed groups and rebel organizations.

There are 1,078 barangays under the yellow category, places that experienced election-related incidents in previous elections.

Nobleza said that as incidents of gun violence escalate, the number of category red areas also changes, usually increasing as the elections draw near.

The same observation was echoed by Ferolino, who said hostilities are expected to increase every time an election approaches. – Rappler.com