AS POLLS CLOSE | 'Minimal' 18 incidents in 42,000 villages a good record – Comelec

From InterAksyon (Oct 28): AS POLLS CLOSE | 'Minimal' 18 incidents in 42,000 villages a good record – Comelec

Ballots that "drowned" in Capiz; poll officials improvising hand-prepared ballots after the official ones were snatched in Northern Samar; bad weather delaying delivery of poll materials; and the usual string of shootings, harassment, flared tempers in precinct-level arguments. In all, a total of 18 "incidents" marked Monday's barangay elections nationwide, a record the poll body deemed "minimal" considering there are 42,000 villages in the race.

In a press briefing, Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said a total 18 "peace-, security- and other election-related incidents" had been reported to them as the polls closed 3 p.m. nationwide. He described this as "very minimal" and "isolated."

He invited journalists to consider that "there are more than 42,000 barangays so the 18 [cases] is very minimal. Almost nil. So we are happy so far as the ongoing voting appears to be OK except for some minor incidents."

In the case of ballots that "drowned" in Capiz, it was learned that ballot boxes and other election paraphernalia on a motorbike bearing the chair of the Board of Election Tellers in Cuartero, Capiz fell into a river while crossing the bridge on their way to the polling place. The election officer survived, but the ballots for clustered precincts No. 35 with 275 RVs (Registered Voters) of Barangay Mahabang Sapa, had to be replaced with emergency ballots, according to Atty. Bartolome Sinocruz, Jr., deputy director for operations. Polling began late, at 1 p.m., as a result.

Meanwhile, Sinocruz listed only two-election related incidents in Metro Manila; three strafing incidents in Barangay Basco, Mariveles, Bataan; Barangay Mati, Digos City, Davao del Sur; and in Barangay Macasindig, Midsayap, Cotabato.

He cited two shooting incidents reported in Negros Occidental and Capiz; and gunfire in Sultan Kudarat.

Also, Sinocruz reported to the Comelec that the opening of polls was delayed in four barangays in Camarines Norte; a BET was harassed in Guimaras; there was political harassment in Iloilo; ballot snatching in Northern Samar and in Basilan, among others.

Sinocruz said appropriate measures were initiated in those areas with election incidents to resolve the problems.

'Very much lower' cases this year

Compared to the 2010 barangay polls, Brillantes said this year's case load was "very much lower" and that "we don't really have much of a problem up to this point."

Brillantes hoped the trend of minimal incidents will continue until the counting and canvassing--which he described as more critical--is done.

"This is what we will continue to monitor. We don't have much of a problem at this point but . . . as we move into the more critical stages of counting and canvassing, we hope this [trend in] reports [will hold]," he said.

The incidents listed by Comelec are:

1. A fire at Padre Burgos Elementary School in Sta. Mesa, Manila that partially damaged seven clustered precincts;

2.  Missing ballots in Tonsuya, Malabon City;

3. Strafing of the house of barangay chairman Abel Lopez in Basco, Mariveles, Bataan'

4. Delayed opening of polling precincts in barangays Banoctog, Pinagtigasan, Mankawayan and  Vinzon in Camarines Norte due to late delivery of election paraphernalia

5. Harassment of the Board of Election Tellers in barangays San Jose and Lucmayan in Nueva Valencia in Guimaras;

6. Shooting incidents in Poblacion, Toboso in Negros Occidental that resulted in the death of a person;

7.  Ballot snatching in San Antonio, Catubig in Northern Samar;

8. Ballot snatching in Bukut-Umus in Tabuan-Lasa, Basilan; 

9. A molotov bomb explosion at the Don Mariano Marcos Elementary School and Isaac Ablayan Elementary School in Mati, Digos City in Davao de Sur;

10. Shooting incidents in Barangay Nagba, Cuartero, Capiz between two groups of kagawad;

11. Political harassment involving a vice mayor and members of the sangguniang bayan in Tambunac in San Enrique, Iloilo;

12. Strafing of the barangay hall of Mati in DIgos City, Davao del Sur;

13. Gunfire incident in barangay Udtong, Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat;

14. Strafing of civilians in barangay Macasindig, Midsayap, Cotabato;

Calayan islands polls postponed

Chairman Brillantes said elections were postponed to Oct. 30 and 31 in Minabel, Babuyan Claro, Dalupiri and Balatubat in Calayan island, after bad weather delayed the delivery of election paraphernalia.

Elections in Bohol, which was struck by a killer earthquake last Oct. 15; and Zamboanga City, still reeling from a 20-day siege by MNLF elements that destroyed 10,000 homes, was earlier re-scheduled to Nov. 25. 

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/73643/as-polls-close--minimal-18-incidents-in-42000-villages-a-good-record---comelec