As the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COC) concludes today, October 8, the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Commission on Elections (COMELEC) report a peaceful week of candidacy filing in the Cordillera.

However, this is just the beginning of almost a year of preparation by the government to ensure a peaceful election.

“The outcome can greatly depend on who the candidates are and the competition between them,” said Attorney Julius Torres, Regional Election Director of COMELEC Cordillera.

But even before the COMELEC reactivates the Joint Security Control Center, it doesn’t mean there is no threat to security for the upcoming election.

According to the Police Regional Office (PRO) Cordillera and COMELEC, the provinces of Abra and Kalinga might once again be on their watchlist.

This is based on previous elections and the potential intense rivalry among the candidates.

“Our concern is based on historical data, per province,” Torres mentioned.

According to PRO Cordillera records, they are monitoring nine potential private armed groups in Abra, five of which they have already engaged and dismantled, while four are still being monitored.

In addition, they are not ruling out the threat from the Communist Party of the Pilippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), although several groups in Northern Luzon are considered weakened fronts, where tribal conflicts in Kalinga are also an issue.

These are some of the concerns the COMELEC, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and PNP will focus on once the Regional Joint Security Control Center (RJSCC) is reactivated.

The election period will officially begin on January 12, 2025, with the implementation of the election gun ban, and will end on June 11, 2025.

The campaign period for national candidates will run from February 11 to May 10, while the campaign period for local candidates will be from March 28 to May 10.

Overseas and local absentee voting will take place from April 30 to May 12, with the election set for May 12.

**CHARLES NIKKO LIMON