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

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

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

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

The most recent incident involved the fatal shooting of Barangay Mataloto Chairperson Mary Ann Orillo on October 24.

Although authorities have not yet determined whether her killing was election-related, Orillo has been identified as a coordinator for Rep. Anna Victoria Tuazon, who is seeking re-election.

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

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“Since their deployment, we’ve seen a noticeable decrease in violence, particularly in the Third District,” Petilla said.

The Third District of Leyte 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 noted that other parts of the region are also being monitored for potential election-related concerns.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec), the PNP and the 8th Infantry Division have yet to release a comprehensive list of “areas of concern” for the May 2025 elections.