TACLOBAN CITY—A Leyte provincial board member says women barangay captains in the third district are being subjected to various forms of harassment since the filing of the certificate of candidacy for the May 2025 local and national elections.

Leyte Board Member Marie Kathryn Kabigting says at least three women barangay captains from the town of Leyte have approached her to ask for assistance since they experienced threats to their lives.

The women village chiefs said they started feeling threats to their personal security after the brutal murder of another female barangay captain in the same municipality on 24 October.

Kabigting said one barangay captain reported how the motorcycle she was riding was tailed while she was traveling back from Ormoc City to Leyte.

Another female barangay captain reported that she has been visited several times by unknown men on motorcycles, their faces covered by helmets. These men would reportedly approach the barangay captain and ask if she was still alive.

Some barangays have resorted to putting up makeshift barricades on the road leading to their village to slow down vehicles and identify people entering and leaving their community.

“This is scary, especially now that they are targeting women barangay captains,” Kabigting said. “Women are being targeted because maybe they are less concerned about their security. Who would hurt a woman?”

Kabigting said these threats have already been reported to the regional and provincial offices of the Philippine National Police (PNP) as well as to the office of Leyte Third District Rep. Anna Veloso-Tuazon, who also brought the matter to PNP Chief PGen. Rommel Francisco Marbil.

Kabigting said barangay captains in Leyte have formed a private group chat through a popular social media platform where they can report any hint of threat to their security.

“Sana wala nang mangyaring added casualties among barangay officials in the third district of Leyte,” she said, welcoming the declaration of the congressional district as an election hotspot by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

“Being considered an election hotspot may not sound good, but we are grateful that DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla did that to give enough resources for security,” she said.