DILG Region 8 Regional Director Arnel Agabe. | PHOTO: Official Facebook page of DILG Region 8

TACLOBAN CITY — Regional Director Arnel Agabe of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Eastern Visayas has assured the public of credible and orderly elections in Leyte’s third and fourth districts in the 2025 elections despite recent incidents of violence in these areas.

Agabe said additional police forces had been deployed in the two districts to ensure public safety and avoid further violence.

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“We are in close coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP) with personnel specifically assigned to prevent any escalation of violence or election-related incidents,” he said on Saturday, Oct. 26.

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The latest incident involved the fatal shooting of Barangay Mataloto Chairman Mary Ann Orillo on Oct. 24.

Although authorities have yet to determine if her killing was election-related, Orillo had been identified as a coordinator for Rep. Anna Victoria Tuazon, who is seeking reelection.

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Leyte Gov. Carlos Jericho Petilla had earlier called for increased police presence in these districts.

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“Since their deployment, we’ve observed a noticeable decrease in violence, particularly in the third district,” Petilla said.

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Leyte’s third district includes the municipalities of Calubian, San Isidro, Tabango, Villaba, and Leyte, while the fourth district covers Kananga, Matag-ob, Merida, Palompon, Albuera, Isabel, and Ormoc City.

While the DILG focused on these areas, Agabe mentioned that other parts of the region are also being monitored for potential election-related concerns.

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The Commission on Elections (Comelec), PNP, and the 8th Infantry Division have not yet released a comprehensive list of “areas of concern” for the May 2025 elections.

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