Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 31) — Casting of votes in three barangays in Lanao del Sur and two villages in Calbayog City, Samar for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) were held Tuesday as delays and violence marred the elections in these areas on Monday.
In a briefing, Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairperson George Garcia said election paraphernalia did not arrive on time in these areas, affecting over 1,000 voters.
Garcia said five barangays in Bayang town in Lanao del Sur were initially affected by the delay in election paraphernalia delivery but the polls continued in two barangays on Monday.
Citing a Comelec resolution, Garcia said those who would not receive the election paraphernalia by noon on Election Day can conduct the voting either on the same day or the next day.
“Ngayong hapon matatapos at makakapagproklama na sila,” he said, stressing that the poll body targets to proclaim all winning candidates nationwide on Tuesday.
[Translation: By Tuesday afternoon, they will finish the voting and proclaim the winning candidates.]
Garcia also said election workers bringing election paraphernalia to two far-flung villages in Calbayog City were fired at by insurgents, causing the late delivery.
The regional poll office in Eastern Visayas said members of the electoral board were trekking from Dinacawan to Nag-uma, one of the upland villages, when unidentified gunmen opened fire about 200 meters from their location.
This made the electoral board members, who were escorted by a military squad from the 43rd Infantry Battalion, to panic and return to Dinacawan, the office added.
Brgy. Nag-uma has a total of 138 voters for the local polls and 67 SK voters.
The Comelec chief said the conduct of elections continued on Tuesday as more police and military personnel were deployed to these areas.
Authorities are still investigating the incident.
“Pagkatapos ng election, we will deal with you…hindi forgivable ‘yon,” Garcia warned the perpetrators.
[Translation: After the elections, we will deal with you…it’s not forgivable.]
Tacloban-based journalist Wil Mark Amazona contributed to this report.
