19 killed in village, youth polls
By Jomel R. Paguian
A TOTAL of 19 deaths linked to election-related violence were recorded throughout seven regions of the country amid a generally peaceful and orderly conduct of the village and youth council elections, police and poll officials said on Tuesday.
Out of the 19 people killed, 11 were reported in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), a tally released by the Philippine National Police (PNP) showed. The same region also logged 13 separate election-related incidents in which 14 people were injured.
The PNP figures were recorded during the election period from Aug. 28 to Oct. 31.
Two of the reported deaths were in Region 5 (Bicol) while two more were in Region 7 (Central Visayas). One death each was recorded in Regions 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), 4-A (Calabarzon), 1 (Ilocos), and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
In a press briefing, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia confirmed that during the election period, 244 violent incidents have been reported nationwide. He said 29 of these have already been verified to be related to the elections, while 111 are still being investigated.
“When you look at it, it [the election] is generally peaceful, unfortunately, some people died,” said Mr. Garcia in Filipino.
He warned those who caused delays in the delivery of election paraphernalia and the voting process in some precincts. “After the election, we will deal with you,” Mr. Garcia said. “We cannot forgive you because that is not forgivable.”
The remark was made concerning the postponed delivery of poll materials in five villages in Lanao del Sur. Likewise, two villages in Calbayog City, Samar experienced delays after armed insurgents fired at the officials delivering election paraphernalia.
The Comelec will also deal with teachers and police officers who suddenly withdrew from their duties as election officer or substitutes during the voting.
“We got their names earlier, all of them, personnel from DepEd (Department of Education), personnel from PNP, even personnel from the Commission on Elections, we will not overlook those infractions,” Mr. Garcia warned, noting that their actions were a form of sabotaging the elections.
“Election day service is not mandatory… But then on the day of the election, you withdraw, and even worse, the replacement we have prepared also withdraws. You can’t just back out casually,” he said.
More than 2,500 teachers serving as election officers — the majority of whom were in BARMM — opted out on Election Day and some of their police-substitutes also did not step in their place.
