Violence erupts in BARMM, but polls generally peaceful

MANILA, Philippines — Despite incidents of violence in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) declared Monday’s barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) as “generally peaceful.”

“Generally, when you look at it, from 5 a.m. onwards, the election was generally peaceful nationwide even if there are a few incidences of violence, especially in the Bangsamoro,” Comelec Chairman George Garcia said at a press briefing yesterday.

Garcia said he is puzzled why the Bangsamoro people are so passionate that they resort to violence.

“I cannot understand why the polls are so intense, especially in the area of the Bangsamoro. Everyone is so passionate when it comes to the elections. All of us are passionate but there must be no fistfights, shootings and deaths,” Garcia said in English and Filipino.

The Comelec recorded 29 confirmed election-related violent incidents as of yesterday, but the BSKE was held smoothly and no election-related incidents were reported in all of the 365 areas previously classified by the commission as “areas of concern.”

Violence

At least four people were killed as violence marred the conduct of the BSKE in various parts of the country yesterday.

In Maguindanao del Norte, two people were shot dead in the town of Datu Odin Sinsuat. The shooting occurred along the Cotabato-Sharrif Aguak road in Barangay Bugawas at around 6 a.m., police said.

Killed were Juhaimin Ube and an alias Mistake. Four other people were wounded – Mohalidin Solaiman, Jerik Alon, Nasrudin Salik and Harong Tating.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said pursuit operations are ongoing against the perpetrators, identified as Romar Abas, Keds Lidasan, Michael Abas and Teng Kapaya.

Another shooting happened in Butig in Lanao del Sur, killing village chief candidate Madid Bao, husband of Barangay Poktan incumbent chair Conaipa Bao. Madid was killed at 6:25 a.m. during an alleged shootout with his wife’s political opponent.

In Bacolod town, Lanao del Norte, a shootout between supporters of two candidates for barangay captain broke out at 6:10 a.m. yesterday.

Reports reaching Western Mindanao Command stated that shooting between supporters of incumbent Barangay Punod chair Abdul-Latif Rascal and aspiring chief candidate Soud Lumbak Palman broke out in Sitio Perlo.

The military said the followers of the two candidates got into a commotion, drew their firearms and exchanged gunfire. No one was hurt but civilians in the area scampered for safety.

Meanwhile, a poll watcher of a candidate for barangay chairman in Matungao, Lanao del Norte was beaten up in Barangay Poblacion at around 6 a.m. The victim said he was attacked by a watcher of another aspirant for barangay captain.

In Barangay Lahi-Lahi, Tuburan town in Basilan, village chief Ibrahim Atang and five others were injured after Coast Guard member Said Unos Uyag ran amok outside a polling center. Uyag was reportedly accompanied by four unidentified men armed with machetes who attacked voters.

In nearby Sinulatan village, voting was temporarily disrupted when poll watchers and supporters of rival candidates engaged in fistfights and indiscriminate firing that lasted for more than an hour.

In Lamitan City, also in Basilan, CAFGU militiaman Euliano Custodio Enrique was killed after he shot dead village councilor Nadjuhal Mahamud Antataha and wounded chairman Jemson Bandojo Cervantes of Barangay Luksumbang, according to Lamitan Police chief Lt. Col. Arlan Delumpines.

Delumpines said Antataha died on the spot while Cervantes managed to retaliate and subsequently killed their attacker.

Police said an investigation was conducted to determine the motive of the attack and to find out if the incident was related to the election.

In San Jose City, Nueva Ecija, last termer barangay captain Danilo Simon, 50, was attacked and punched by three men, one of them armed with a handgun, inside his house in Barangay Culaylay early yesterday.

Violence also marred the elections at two polling precincts in Puerto Princesa City in Palawan.

An argument between poll watchers and voters occurred in three polling precincts at the Pilot Elementary School in Barangay Kalipay.

After the sides were pacified, a commotion broke out among the supporters of the candidates. It was discovered later that 346 unused official ballot forms had been torn.

Acorda said four schools were hit by fire on Sunday, one each in the towns of Barira and Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao del Norte. The other two incidents are in Northern Mindanao and Bicol. One incident was caused by malfunctioning electrical wires and not related to the elections.

The 35 validated election-related incidents in the BSKE may either match or surpass the 40 incidents recorded in the previous BSKE in 2018, the PNP announced on Monday.

The PNP has so far documented election-related incidents in the BARMM and the Cordilleras.

Other incidents were recorded in Calabarzon, Bicol, Ilocos, Central Visayas, Easter Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Zamboanga peninsula.

Acorda said 17 vote buying incidents were documented across the country, with three each in Ilocos and Soccsksargen, two in Western Visayas and one each in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Central Visayas, Zamboanga peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and Metro Manila.

Up to 1,995 people were arrested for possession of firearms and other deadly weapons in violation of the nationwide gun ban.

At least 5,564 guns were confiscated, surrendered and deposited at police stations for safekeeping.

Peaceful

Although separate violence incidents occurred in some areas in the Bangsamoro region and a commotion in Puerto Princesa, Garcia said these did not prevent the elections from pushing through and that they will pursue legal charges against the suspects.

Garcia said the counting of ballots nationwide is expected to start immediately after the closing of polling precincts and proclamation of winners to be done by 11 p.m. at the latest.

As of press time, Garcia said the Comelec could not still determine the voter turnout. He, however, expressed confidence that it could reach their target of more than 70 percent.

Among the persons deprived of liberty in the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Garcia said the Comelec recorded a high turnout of 77 percent and 92 percent at the Bureau of Corrections.

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos agreed with the Comelec’s assessment that the conduct of the BSKE was generally peaceful despite reports of cases of vote buying.

“It is generally peaceful, especially in the National Capital Region but if you can see the PNP was very proactive and many were arrested for vote buying,” Abalos said, adding that since the start of the campaign period, at least 380,000 checkpoints were conducted.

The BSKE in the whole of the Visayas was generally peaceful, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said.

“All the efforts, sacrifices and time spent in planning and preparations have paid off, as far as the voting for the barangay and SK elections in the Visayas is concerned, it is very peaceful. The timely and synchronized deployment of security forces, especially in areas included in the election watchlist areas, played an important role in ensuring a safe, peaceful and orderly election in the region,” said Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, commander of the Visayas Command.

He attributed the peaceful outcome of the BSKE in the Visayas to the collaborative efforts of the Comelec, Department of Education, PNP and Coast Guard. — Emmanuel Tupas, Bella Cariaso, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Evelyn Macairan, John Unson, Roel Pareno, Mayen Jaymalin