Negros Oriental polls ‘generally peaceful’ — military

DUMAGUETE CITY — Despite the last-minute rise in election hotspots and the province being tagged as a priority province of concern, the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in Negros Oriental have been "generally peaceful," a military official said Monday.

Colonel Inno Pasaporte, deputy commander of the Philippine Army's 303rd Infantry Brigade assigned in Negros Oriental, told GMA News Online that there have been no reported incidents of election-related violence in the province as polling precincts closed at 3 p.m.

Colonel Inno Pasaporte, deputy commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, talks to reporters at the provincial command center right after polls closed at 3 p.m. Monday. Photo: Raffy Cabristante

Pasaporte added that historically, elections in the province have been generally peaceful despite the threat of private armed groups and New People's Army (NPA) rebels, especially in the hinterland areas.

"Ang mga tao pa rin naman sa Negros Oriental ang may malaking naiambag sa peaceful situation sa probinsya," Pasaporte said, crediting Negrenses for the peaceful polls.

There were no reported incidents of harassment by communist rebels during Monday's polls. This, despite the Police Regional Office (PRO-7) tagging Negros Oriental as a "priority province" in Central Visayas due to the strong presence of NPA rebels here.

On Friday, the number of election watchlist areas (EWAs) in Negros Orientalrose from 73 to 90, Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NORPPO) acting director Senior Superintendent Raul Tacaca said.

Guihulngan City still had the most number of election hotspots in the province with 20 barangays.

However, Lieutenant Colonel Darrell Bañez, commander of the 62nd Infantry Battalion, told reporters that communist rebels are "unlikely" to disrupt elections based on their experience.

On Sunday evening, officers of the Bais City Police and members of the Army's 62nd Infantry Battalion looked into reports of sightings of a private armed group in Sab-ahan, Bais City.

New police chief

During the polls, Tacaca personally went around the province to inspect the security situation in some significant areas, as well as to introduce himself to his subordinates as new provincial police chief.

In a radio interview on Monday, Tacaca said he was confident that the polls in Negros Oriental would be peaceful, as their security plans with the military and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) have already been put in place months before election day.

He added that even though he only assumed his new post last week, this did not affect security plans in the province as they were properly prepared by his predecessor, Senior Superintendent Edwin Portento.

Violations

Meanwhile, there have been at least ten incidents of election violations in Dumaguete City, according to the city's election officer Guildu Agoncillo.

These included incumbent local officials' allegedly being present in the polling precincts, as well as candidates campaigning on election day itself.

A barangay candidate in Taclobo was allegedly giving out sample ballots to passing voters in front of the Negros Oriental State University (NORSU), the barangay's assigned polling precinct.

Agoncillo said that upon receiving the report, he sent Comelec officers as well as authorities to reprimand the said candidate, who in turn left the area immediately.

Taclobo, with a population of 6,841 registered voters, is the biggest barangay in Dumaguete City.

There are more than a million registered voters in the province of Negros Oriental, Comelec data showed.

However, as of press time, the voter turnout in the province has yet to be determined, provincial election supervisor Eddie Aba said. — BM, GMA News