Polls generally peaceful but...
Monday's polls in Iloilo and throughout Western Visayas was assessed by police as "generally peaceful" with the exception on one province.
With no major incident reported in the region, Chief Superintendent Wilfredo Dulay, Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 said in a radio interview that all went peaceful before, "during and after the polls."
The isolated incident though was in Barangay Rizal Norte, Tapaz, Capiz where election supervisors declared a failure in elections here.
The News Today (TNT) in a report gathered that the team sent by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) did not reach the barangay due to security reasons.
The Board of Election Supervisors on their way to the barangay were apparently warned by a candidate that four armed men were waiting for the group. A hinterland village not accessible to any form of vehicle, Barangay Rizal Norte is known to be heavily-infested by communist terrorists New People's Army (NPA).
Chief Supt. Dulay explained though that earlier arrangements were made for Army soldiers to secure the area. To date, no confirmation was reached on the identities of the armed men spotted.
Comelec has yet to set a date for the conduct of a special election in the said barangay.
Dulay deployed about 6,000 policemen in all of the region's six provinces to ensure a peaceful and orderly conduct of elections.
The top cop also reported that PRO 6 was able to arrest 66 persons who violated the Comelec gun ban. The arrests resulted to the the recovery of 55 firearms, 12 of which are high-powered, 11 low powered and 32 homemade.
Records of PRO 6 also showed that there were only five shooting incidents recorded involving political candidates, resulting to the filing of two cases in court.
A case of homicide was filed against Franklyn Agan y Milliones, incumbent Village Chief of Barangay Sumaray, San Remegio, Antique for shooting to death Maricodo Talundata y Puyong, a Tanod Commander, also of the said place.
Likewise, a Frustrated Murder case was filed against Barangay Councilor Syril Dumali y Borda of Brgy San Silvestre, Pilar, Capiz for shooting Barangay Councilor Romie Bereber y Pastrana who sustained multiples gunshot wounds on his body.
Meantime, elections in Iloilo City's 180 barangays and 1,721 in the province face the usual post-elections 'event.' From the filing of protests to purported claims of fraud and vote-buying, the city, provincial and regional Comelec offices were besieged with complainants.
Such as a number of city barangays had several winning candidates up for "toss coins" and drawing of lots in positions that got the candidates same number of votes.
Same scenario in closely-contested barangays particularly in the position of barangay captains such as Barangay Pali-Benedicto in Mandurriao District.