Taysan folk remember torching, opt not to vote in special polls

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) confirmed that not a single voter went to the polling precinct to cast vote in Taysan, Batangas during Wednesday’s special elections. "The precincts opened for elections at exactly 7 a.m. and ended at 3 p.m. with no one voting in the six precincts (where special elections were held)," Commissioner Florentino Tuason, in- charge of elections in Region 4, told reporters. He said nobody seemed interested to vote because of the May 15 burning of a school building which killed two persons and injured several others. "Nobody was interested because probably they sympathize with the victims. They don't want to recall or remember what happened," he said. Tuason said voters were probably thinking that the relatives of the victims would not want them to participate in the elections held in the same place where the burning happened. He was quick to add however, that nobody intimidated the people not to vote. Tuason said lawyer Gloria Ramos-Petalio, acting provincial election supervisor in the province, relayed to him that poll officers made sure that everything was prepared for the conduct of the special elections. The commissioner said the non-appearance of voters cannot be considered as boycott. "Not boycott. There is no reason to boycott. It is only a mere act of sympathy on the part of the voters maybe to remember the victims," he said. He said he finds the failure of residents to vote unusual "but considering the fact that the burning of the school building occurred and that two people were killed and several people were injured, then probably this circumstance contributed to the non-appearance of supposed voters." This is not the first time voters chose not to participate in special elections, according to Tuason. He said no one also appeared on the special elections conducted in Tineg, Abra in 2004 where four precincts failed to function during the election day. He added the Taysan case cannot be considered as failure of elections because the precincts functioned and winning candidates were proclaimed. The six precincts of Taysan have 1,188 registered voters. - AMITA LEGASPI, GMANews.TV