By Noel Y. Punzalan
COTABATO CITY, (PNA) — Barangay elections in Maguindanao, particularly in the second district of the province, was generally peaceful, a military official in the area, said.
Col. Edgar Gonzales, Army’s 1st Mechanized Brigade commander, said that aside from the ambush-slay of two nephews of a barangay bet in Barangay Mileb, Rajah Buayan town earlier today, Monday, no major incident has threatened voters in their area of responsibility.
The 1st Mechanized Brigade covers nine of 36 towns in Maguindanao namely Shariff Aguak, Rajah Buayan, Mamasapano, Datu Piang, Datu Unsay, Datu Saudi, Talayan, Talitay and Ampatuan.
“As far as our area is concerned, polling in our AOR is generally peaceful and successful,” Gonzales said.
He said they are continuously monitoring the situation in Rajah Buayan which remains intense following the ambush in the area.
This developed as Cotabato City Election Officer Michael Ignes said polling here has been “peaceful as a whole” and that there was no reported failure of elections in the city’s 37 villages.
“We, however, have to look into the perennial problem of disenfranchisement of voters,” he noted.
Ignes declined to give estimated percentage on the turnout of city voters for the polls but aptly described the number as satisfactory.