Duterte skips barangay polls

The chair that was reserved for President Duterte remained empty until closing time. INQUIRER MINDANAO / Barry Ohaylan

Update

President Rodrigo Duterte has skipped voting in the first barangay (village) elections under his administration, his top aide said Monday.

Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go said President Duterte missed the polls but did not give any reasons why the Chief Executive failed to cast his vote.

The polling precincts closed at 3 p.m.

The President was supposed to vote at the Daniel Aguinaldo National High School in Davao City, the same school where he cast his vote during the 2016 presidential elections.

He was supposed to vote at Cluster 889, where his precinct – 1245-A – was listed under.

Citing the need to weed out illegal drugs in the barangays, the President and Congress twice ordered the postponement of the barangay polls in October 2016 and 2017.

Paolo, too, didn’t vote

In Catalunan Grande, also in Talomo district, resigned vice mayor Paolo Duterte and his wife, January, did not vote in the village polls.

Paolo and January were supposed to vote at the Catalunan Grande Elementary School in Barangay Catalunan, where the latter was running unopposed for another term as village chief.

Paolo confirmed to three sources that he and January were still on vacation in the US and would not be able to vote in the village polls.

Paolo’s former wife, Lovelie Sangkula, also a registered voter of Catalunan Grande, did not show up as well.

However, Duterte’s daughter and Mayor Sara Duterte cast her vote Monday morning at the same precinct her father was supposed to vote.

Wearing a white shirt and jeans, the presidential daughter arrived at Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School around 9:40 a.m. along with a handful of security escorts.

She then sat on one of the steel armchairs and cast her vote.

Beside her was the empty wooden armchair her father used when he voted during the 2016 presidential elections.

School principal Arlene Pernes said they had prepared the same chair the President used in 2016 and was hopeful he would show up before 3 p.m.

Special Assistant to the President Christopher Go, meanwhile, voted in Precinct 1658A Cluster No. 1146 at the Buhangin Central Elementary School here in Bajada in Buhangin proper.

Go arrived at his voting precinct around 11:30 and briefly waited before being handed his ballot. With reports from Frinston Lim, Barry Ohaylan and Allan Nawal, Inquirer Mindanao /muf/ac