Election marred by shootings, ballot snatching

Filipino security guards assist a detainee in casting his vote at a school used as a polling station in Taguig city, south of Manila, Philippines yesterday.Manila Times/ManilaAt least three people were killed, ballots were snatched or did not arrive on time and a school building used as voting centre were torched.Overall, however, yesterday’s barangay (village council) election was peaceful, poll officials reported.In Negros Occidental province, two persons were shot and killed in Barangay Poblacion, Toboso town.The Western Visayas police director, Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz Jr, identified the fatalities as Lione Belleza and Rey Erasan.A witness identified one of the suspects as Gary Enriquez, a candidate for barangay chairman.In Rajah Buayan town, Maguindanao, Naser Malang was killed near a polling centre.Police said Datu Pingcol, who was running for barangay chairman, had an angry exchange with some candidates. He called on his nephews, Malang and Saudi Untong to back him, but they were ambushed along a dirt road leading to the voting centre.Mayor Samsamin Ampatuan of Rajah Buayan said the ambush took place about 200 metres from the Barangay Mileb Elementary School where voting was taking place.The Philippine National Police (PNP) reported more than a dozen election-related incidents, including ballot snatching in Basilan and northern Samar and the burning of a school building in Maguindanao.Although the election was generally peaceful, vote-buying, ballot-snatching, electioneering and disenfranchisement of voters were reported by watchdogs Legal Network for Truthful Elections (Lente) and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV). Residents of 13 barangays in Pikit, Cotabato, were not able to vote because teachers refused to do poll duty for security reasons.Joel Celis, Pikit election officer, said teachers did not proceed to their assignments and the voters did not show up “so no election ever happened.”There was also no election in Calayan, Cagayan, because poll materials were not delivered on time. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) reset the polls to October 30-31.The Comelec said bad weather prevented the election materials from being delivered.According to Lente, vote-buying incidents were reported in Ilocos Sur, Palawan and Jolo, while electioneering and illegal campaigning were reported in Tiniguiban, Palawan; Guadalupe, Makati and Barangay Canitoan in Cagayan de Oro City.The group said minors were used to distribute campaign materials at the gates of the polling centres.Polling precincts in the Cavite Provincial Jail and the Dapitan City Jail did not open on time because of delayed delivery of ballot boxes and bad weather.PPCRV chairman Henrietta de Villa said some voters were unable to vote because their names were not on the Comelec list. Some voters’ lists included dead persons, she said.Overall, the election was generally peaceful, the Comelec said.The Southern Police District, which put up help desks outside the polling places, reported no untoward incidents. The district covers the cities of Pasay, Muntinlupa, Taguig, Paranaque, Makati, Las Pinas and the municipality of Pateros.In Makati, an election inspector was arrested for carrying 50 official ballots inside the comfort room of a polling precinct in Barangay Pio del Pilar, which is among the hotspots in Metro Manila.The Makati police chief, Senior Supt. Manuel Lukban said Jeffrey Barrios, 28, was seen entering a toilet in Pio del Pilar Elementary School clutching a bundle of unused official ballots. He said Barrios will face charges of violation of Omnibus Election Code.The PNP said since the campaign period began on September 28, there were 39 election-related incidents reported.In Catubig, northern Samar and in Basilan, voting began at noon because ballot boxes had been snatched, according to Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes.Brillantes quoting the regional director in Samar, said improvised ballots had to be used.