The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has identified 36 areas of concern under the red category due to serious or grave threats amid preparations for the upcoming midterm elections.

This decreased from the 38 areas of concern under the red category logged last January.

"Before we are just looking into an area's history when it comes to election-related incidents. But now they are basing on the situation of the areas on the last three months," Comelec Chairperson George Garcia told reporters.

"This assessment is made before we start the local campaign [on 28 March]. Not that I am predicting that there will be chaos as the local campaign starts, but based on our records, many election-related violences occur," Garcia added.

The poll chief said they will make another assessment after the start of the local campaign period.

"What's important is we will find out where we will deploy more authorities. For example, in Shariff Aguak in Mindanao, they remained under the red category. So we deployed more force from the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines there," he added.

Based on Comelec's Wednesday data, 30 areas under the red category are in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Two in Negros Island Region and one each in Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, National Capital Region.

The poll body also identified 156 areas under the orange category (with serious threats); 194 under the yellow category (with a history of election-related incidents); and 1,256 under the green category or places with no security concerns.