Abra seen as test case for conduct of polls

NO PICNIC | Teachers collect ballot boxes and other materials at a Comelec office on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. The conduct of the Oct. 30 elections is expected to be under scrutiny, following reports of poll-related violence. (Photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — On Sunday, the eve of the country’s first barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in five years, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) “guaranteed” peaceful elections on Monday in Abra province as an example for other flashpoint areas.

Abra has been seen as a major hot spot in the run-up to the polls, following reports of intimidation of teachers assigned there. At least two kidnappings, a murder of a candidate, and an encounter between police and armed men have also been reported in the province.

“The perception of Abra is it’s a battleground, a war zone. So if we can make Abra a peaceful place for the elections, then we can make any place in the country peaceful during the conduct of elections,” Comelec Chair George Garcia said in a news conference in the provincial capital of Bangued on Sunday.

Joined by three Comelec commissioners and police and military officials, he said the Comelec has requested increased police and military presence beyond their checkpoints.

“We told the PNP (Philippine National Police) to do everything within the bounds of law to make sure the elections will be held,” Garcia said.

Garcia downplayed the withdrawal of the candidacies of 284 barangay and SK candidates in the province, saying most were convinced by their town elders to give way to the other candidates.

As for reports that 29 schoolteachers in Abra had begged off from manning polling precincts, he said “29 electoral board members withdrew [from duty] and we are already panicking and worrying?”

“In [the] Bangsamoro (Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao), there are 2,500 electoral board members who refused to serve. We can’t do anything because it’s voluntary,” he added.

As in the past, police will conduct the elections in polling precincts where teachers refuse to report for duty, he said, adding that some 300 soldiers have also been deployed to Abra as “augmentation forces.”

Nevertheless, Garcia said: “We would like to assure each and every one of you, including the people of Abra and the entire country, the Comelec is in control.”

Yet Abra has not even been placed under the Comelec’s control, unlike the province of Negros Oriental and the municipality of Libon in Albay province — which are so far the only critical areas under the control of the poll body.

Meanwhile, the PNP has tagged 365 barangays across the country in its highest security or red alert level.

‘Arson’

Garcia in his briefing also cited other incidents of election-related violence around the country.

He confirmed that Saturday’s fire that hit two public schools in Maguindanao del Norte which would serve as voting centers were indeed meant to stop the elections.

“That’s arson. It’s obvious the purpose is to prevent the voters from voting,” Garcia said.

But he maintained that local officials would still hold the elections in those schools.

“That means all the voters in the area will still get to vote there. We have to show they will not succeed in their harassment. We will proceed with the election at all costs in these areas,” he said.

“There should be no failure of elections. We will proceed with the elections at all cost,” Garcia added.

As of Oct. 29, the PNP has reported 51 suspected incidents of election-related violence around the country and “validated” 28 of these to be linked, indeed, to the polls.

Barangay and SK elections were last held in 2018. The next elections were supposed to be held in May 2020 but were postponed to December 2022 and then to October 2023.

Young voters

With 42,001 barangays in total, Comelec said there are 67,839,861 registered voters 18 years old and above who will vote for their barangay captain and councilors.

There are 23,254,961 registered voters 15 to 30 years old who will get to vote for their SK chair and councilors.

Meanwhile, there are 21,420,550 registered voters aged 18 to 30 who may vote for both barangay and SK officials.

While the voting hours are from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Comelec will pilot early voting hours from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. for persons with disability, those at least 60 years old, and heavily pregnant voters in Naga City and Muntinlupa City.

The Comelec will also pilot mall voting. Following are the participating malls:

• SM Manila for Barangay 659
• SM Sucat for Barangay San Dionisio in Parañaque
• SM North Edsa for Barangay Alicia in Quezon City
• SM Legazpi for Barangay 36 Kapantawan in Legazpi City
• SM Consolacion Cebu for Barangay Pitogo in Consolacion, Cebu
• Robinsons Magnolia for Barangay Horseshoe, Quezon City
• Robinsons Las Piñas for Barangay Talon Tres in Las Piñas City
• Robinsons Ermita for Barangay 668 in Manila
• Robinsons Metro East for Barangay Dela Paz in Pasig City
• Robinsons Cebu for Barangay Parian in Cebu City

While the barangay and SK elections are conducted manually, the Comelec will also pilot test automated elections in Barangays Zone II Poblacion and Paliparan II in Dasmariñas City and in Barangay Pasong Tamo in Quezon City.

According to the Comelec, Barangay Dibarusan in Madamba, Lanao del Sur has the fewest registered voters with only 53.

Barangay 76 in Caloocan City has the highest number of registered voters with 90,209.

—WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH