BUTUAN CITY, (PNA) — The barangay elections in Caraga region started peacefully and orderly as polling precincts opened on time at 7 a.m. with the board of election tellers (BETs) already in their assigned places to accommodate voters.
Atty. Francisco Pobe, Comelec (Commission on Elections) Regional Director, said that Sunday evening all the election paraphernalia all over the region had been delivered even those in the far-flung places.
This is to ensure that the voting could start on time at 7 a.m. and will at 3 p.m., according to Pobe.
The Comelec official also said that the agency has properly coordinated with the PNP (Philippine National Police) and the military to ensure peaceful and orderly polls.
City Comelec Officer Lawyer Ernie Palanan also said that about 186,000 city voters will elect their village officials from among the 2,245 candidates for village chairman and council members in about 541 clustered precincts located in 86 city barangays.
PSupt. Martin M. Gamba, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office 13, also said in an interview that as far as the regional PNP is concerned, the conduct of the election since its opening Monday morning has been peaceful and orderly. No election-related violent incidents (ERVIs) had been reported from their lower units, he said.
Gamba said that their field units are reporting to the regional headquarters every hour and it will be done every 30 minutes in the afternoon and evening.
Gamba is optimistic the voting will remain peaceful in the region until the winners are proclaimed.