PNP logo with voting as background. INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines — The number of violent incidents related to the nationwide Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election (BSKE) this year increased to 31 on Sunday, October 29, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP).
PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said in press briefing Monday that 32 percent of the sum – or 10 poll-linked incidents – happened in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
READ: PNP logs 30 poll-related incidents ahead of BSKE 2023
He likewise enumerated that three election-related cases were recorded in Region 1 (Ilocos Norte); one in Region 4-A (Calabarzon); two each in Region 5 (Bicol Region) and Region 7 (Central Visayas); three in Region 8 (Eastern Visayas); one in Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula); four in Region 10 (Northern Mindanao); and five in the Cordillera Administrative Region, among others.
READ: Barangay and SK Elections: Dos and Don’ts on election day
The PNP chief further noted that 70 cases are still on the list of violent incidents suspected to be related the 2023 BSKE.
The voting period for this year’s BSKE officially started at 7 a.m. and will run until 3 p.m., October 30.
READ: Teachers back out of poll duty – 2,500 in BARMM, 29 in Abra, 10 in Bicol
Accorda assured the public that the voting process nationwide is going smoothly so far.
He also said that poll-related violence recorded this year were lower compared to previous BSKEs. But Acorda did not provide the figures to support his pronouncement.
“But this doesn’t mean na magiging complacent kami. Tuloy-tuloy pa rin at pagpupursigihan naming mag-run after these violators,” he added.
(But this doesn’t mean we will be complacent. We will continue to run after these violators.)