MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde said that no major untoward incident was reported Monday that affected the turnout of the polls.
“As voting hours officially closed at 6 p.m., the 2019 national and local elections turned out to be generally peaceful nationwide,” Albayalde said in an evening press conference in Camp Crame in Quezon City.
While there were six polling precincts in Lanao del Norte that reportedly failed to accommodate voters by mid-day, he said 100 percent of voting centers were able to open by 2 p.m.
READ: PNP: 6 Lanao polling precincts still closed by mid-day
“Walang hindi nagbukas na polling center nationwide (There was no polling center that failed to open nationwide),” Albayalde said, citing reports of PNP units across the country.
He added that the polls went “smoothly and orderly” in the voting centers, except for isolated incidents in precincts in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Albayalde said the PNP only monitored 23 significant incidents during the 12-hour voting period including shooting, indiscriminate firing, illegal discharge of firearms, explosion, grave threats, and harassment.
However, the PNP is still verifying which of these incidents may be considered as election-related incidents.
The latest data from the PNP showed that 297 persons were arrested on 332 vote-buying incidents while three minors were rescued. Meanwhile, a total of 986 liquor ban violators have been arrested in 387 incidents since 12:01 a.m., Sunday.
Albayalde reminded the public that the liquor ban will remain in effect until midnight Monday.
READ: PNP to impose liquor ban on May 12-13
Meanwhile, since the Comelec imposed the gun ban on January 13, around 5,550 have been arrested for violations while 4,618 firearms were seized and 44,225 other deadly weapons were either confiscated, recovered, and surrendered, according to the PNP.
Illegal acts such as the carrying of firearms, explosives and other deadly weapons; the organization of security forces; and the unauthorized employment of bodyguards and security personnel will remain prohibited until the end of election period on June 12, Albayalde pointed out.
He added that all valid permits to carry firearms outside of residence (PTCFOR) issued to registered firearm holders will remain suspended until the lifting of the gun ban on June 12.
Election-related violent incidents drop
The PNP chief noted that the number of election-related violent incidents dropped by almost 70 percent as of May 13.
Data from the PNP showed that only 43 election-related violent incidents have been monitored since January 13, compared to the 106 incidents recorded in 2016 and 94 in 2013.
“Unti-unti, nag-iimprove naman tayo ( We are improving little by little),” Albayalde said.
He added that the incidents reported were basically in Mindanao, which is perennially a hot spot during elections.
The PNP chief concluded that overall, the PNP “did well” in the May 13 election and that the conduct of the polls was “generally peaceful. (Editor: Eden Estopace)