Concerted efforts between the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and other government agencies paved the way for the overall success of the 2018 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, acting Comelec Chairman Al Parreño said in a press conference on Monday evening.
“Sobrang nagpapasalamat po kami sa kanila [government agencies],” Parreño said. “That’s why we have a high success rate ngayon. They’re very helpful.”
Parreño also mentioned the peacekeeping efforts of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), saying that they protected the sanctity of elections.
“I don’t want to be dramatic about it, but they are actually… today, they were protecting democracy,” Parreño said. “They were very active. I cannot be more than thankful. Kasi kapag nakikita mo ‘yong data natin for 2010, 2013, ang tataas ng incidents of violence. Ngayon, isa lang ang tinitignan natin pero we’re not even sure.”
He neither confirmed nor denied the election status of a barangay in Northern Samar, which has not yet transmitted its results.
Parreño said that they were looking into the details of reports from the said barangay. /atm
