By Eddie Barrita
CEBU CITY, (PNA) — Voter turnout in Cebu province in the barangay elections Monday was placed at 80 to 85 percent, election officials said.
Cebu Provincial Election Supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano said that based on past records, the turnout in barangay elections is “usually better” than the national elections which is below 80 percent.
“More people come out to vote because they want to support their relatives or neighbors running for a position,” Castillano said.
Voter turnout was 82 percent in last May’s national elections or higher than 77 percent in 2010.
Cebu has more than 2.59 million voters, with a total of 7,599 clustered precincts.
They trooped to the precincts Monday to elect officials in 1,203 barangays in the province.
Records of the Office of the Election Supervisor in Cebu said 2,566 are running for barangay captain and 20,752 for councilors all over the province, including the highly-urbanized cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.
Castillano said the elections in the province were generally peaceful.
But he said the election was delayed in a mountain barangay in Catmon town when a group of armed men threatened Sunday evening the teachers who are members of the board of election inspectors (BEI) not to conduct elections.
Castillano said the election proceeded after they deployed troops from the Philippine Navy and the local police.