REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: Election Day sidelights

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte —PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVAO CITY INFORMATION OFFICE

It’s quiet on Election Day in Davao City

DAVAO CITY, DAVAO DEL SUR, Philippines — Unlike the blaring music and roaring crowd during the campaign, the silence on Election Day in Davao City was observable.

Mayor Sara Duterte, who is a shoo-in for reelection, arrived at her polling precinct at 9 a.m. accompanied by her husband, Manases Carpio.

During campaign rallies across the country, the presidential daughter was sporting campaign shirts of senatorial candidates endorsed by her regional party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago.

The mayor this time wore a white shirt printed with Davao City’s tagline, “Life is Here,” when she cast her vote. There was no fanfare.

Her team described it as a “stark contrast from the cyclonic” campaign period when she stomped across the country to endorse not only her senatorial bets but raised the hands of local candidates seeking her endorsement.

It was quick. There were no speeches or selfies. Duterte queued, voted, had a short interview with reporters and left.

The calmness and peace are also attributed to the active campaign of local police and security forces in the region for the conduct of an orderly elections and the strict enforcement of election laws, said Police Col. Alexander Tagum, city police chief. —Karlos Manlupig

Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo with husband Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo. TONETTE OREJAS

Ex-Presidents join poll queue in hometowns

TARLAC CITY, Philippines — Former President Benigno Aquino III cast his ballot on Monday, after more than an hour of waiting in line at Central Elementary School here.

Aquino voted at precinct No. 017-A with his two sisters, Maria Elena “Ballsy” Cruz and Aurora Corazon “Pinky” Abellada, at noon.

In Pampanga province, former President and incumbent Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband, lawyer Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, voted in Lubao town at 10 a.m.

They were joined by a grandson and daughter-in-law Angela and eldest son Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo, a candidate for representative of Pampanga’s second district.

Speaker Arroyo, who is ending her term in Congress, told the Inquirer: “I think what I accomplished was the financial and fiscal stability of our country that set the stage for bringing down the poverty rate from 39 percent to 26 percent.”

Her term as President, she said, was marked by “unprecedented infrastructure.”

“As to my plans, I will resume writing my memoirs. Aside from that, I have not given much thought to what else I would do to stay involved,” she said.

Arroyo said she would help the Pampanga provincial government by being a consultant. —Reports from Maria Adelaida Calayag and Tonette Orejas

Batanes town has smallest voting population in North

ITBAYAT, BATANES, Philippines — Despite a slight morning drizzle and a subsequent downpour, 1,922 voters turned out to choose their new leaders in this northernmost town on Monday.

Itbayat is one of the towns with the smallest number of voters.

It took only 14 policemen to secure vote counting machines that were installed at Itbayat Central School for Barangay Santa Maria and Santa Rosa; Mayan Elementary School for Barangay Santa Lucia, Itbayat National Agricultural High School for Barangay San Rafael, and Raele Integrated School for Barangay Raele, said municipal election officer Marites Martos. —Nathan Alcantara