Special elections in Lanao del Sur generally peaceful —PNP

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday said the conduct of special elections in 12 barangays in Tubaran, Lanao del Sur on Tuesday was generally peaceful.

"It was generally peaceful—from the casting of votes to canvassing and the transmission of election results,” said the deputy commander of election security task force Police Major General Valeriano de Leon in a statement.

He attributed the peaceful special elections to their coordination with the Commission on Elections, the Armed Forces, the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

According to De Leon, there were armed groups, suspected to be supporters of rival mayoral candidates, seen in Tubaran a day before the special polls, which prompted the PNP to declare a full alert status.

"Based on what we observed and experienced when the failure of elections was declared on May 9, we accounted for all potential threats, such as the presence of armed organizations and the use of flying voters, and so we really planned this carefully,” he said.

The PNP said a total of 600 police officers and 400 troops, supported by BJMP and BFP personnel, were deployed to ensure the security in the concerned barangays.

On Tuesday, Comelec  Commissioner George Garcia said the special elections in Tubaran proceeded smoothly as scheduled.

Comelec set up the special polls after a failure of elections was declared in the 12 barangays during the May 9 elections. — BM, GMA News