SECURITY MEASURES. Negros Oriental police provincial director, Col. Germano Mallari, Army Brig. Gen. Leonardo Pena of the Army's 302nd Infantry Brigade, and Comelec provincial election supervisor-designate for Negros Oriental, Lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano (left to right), discuss security measures for the coming elections in a meeting in Dumaguete City on Thursday (March 3, 2022). One of the topics centered on the series of killings in Bayawan City involving Gov. Roel Degamo's campaign leaders/supporters. (Photo courtesy of Comelec-Negros Oriental) DUMAGUETE CITY - A ranking official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Negros Oriental on Thursday said placing an area under the control of the poll body is a "last resort" that undergoes a tedious process. Lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano, provincial election supervisor-designate of Negros Oriental, told the Philippine News Agency that while he "understands the apprehension of Governor Roel Degamo" in asking Bayawan City to be placed under Comelec control, it is just not possible yet and is still "too early". Degamo had earlier asked the poll body to put Bayawan City under Comelec control after a series of shooting incidents where three of his campaign leaders/supporters were killed. "It is not easy to place an area under Comelec control because it needs an en banc resolution of the agency and it goes through a stringent process," Castillano said. Besides, the shooting incidents have not been proven yet to be related to the May 9 elections, he added. Castillano, moreover, said placing an area under Comelec control will have "negative implications on the local economy and tourism" as people will think of that place as not safe and secure. "For now, we have deployed additional security forces to Bayawan City with the reassurance of peaceful and orderly elections in May," he added. The Comelec lawyer also asked the residents of the southern city to cooperate with authorities by giving information on the shooting incidents. Castillano reassured the governor and the city folks that the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are jointly digging deeper into the shooting incidents. At a luncheon meeting on Thursday with the PNP provincial director, Col. Germano Mallari, and Brig. Gen. Leonardo Pena, the commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, Castillano said he was informed that pursuit operations continue and cases will be filed against the suspects in the killings. He did not elaborate on whether these incidents were connected to each other. (PNA) }