INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–The counting of votes in the barangay (village) elections in Caloocan City has started.
As the polls ended at 3 p.m., the gates of the World Citi Colleges was closed to keep off unauthorized persons.
Through glass panels at a portion of the private school, voters, even children, watch from the outside as they waited for the declaration of winners for this year’s polls.
Other voters set up tents in front of the school for shade. They said they would wait until the counting is over.
Only poll watchers and election inspectors were allowed to enter the school compound.
This school was assigned as polling place for residents of Barangay 87, an area declared by the National Capital Region Police Office as among the areas under its election watchlist.
The Philippine National Police said all 17 Police Regional Offices across the country reported no serious peace and order concerns in their areas of responsibility.
“Although there were some reported cases of isolated incidents of violence yesterday (Sunday) and today (Monday), including 13 incidents over the last 24 hours, these where not at all serious as to have a significant effect on the overall peace and order situation on a national scale,” Senior Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac said.
He said the canvassing of votes were underway in some 170,000 clustered precincts housed in 36,000 polling centers nationwide.
“Police security forces are under specific instructions to remain in their posts to provide security to the election activities until after completion and termination of the proceedings,” Sindac said.
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