Trouble in Caloocan: Blame it on the rain?

Blame it on the rain, unsystematic distribution of election paraphernalia, or simply politics. Whatever the reason, elections in Caloocan City were delayed after the City Treasurer’s Office failed to distribute ballot boxes and election paraphernalia before the start of the elections yesterday.

Caloocan became the exception in the otherwise peaceful and orderly elections in Metro Manila.

As a result, an extension of the elections will be held in the city today from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at polling precincts that did not receive any ballot boxes and election paraphernalia, said Caloocan City election officer Calixtro Ramos. But Commission on Elections (Comelec) did not declare a failure of election in Caloocan as there were no grounds to do so, Ramos said.

City Treasurer Ma. Lourdes Jose is now in hot water after teachers and members of the Boards of Election Inspectors (BEIs) of different polling precincts pinned the blame on her for the disorderly distribution of ballot boxes and election materials, of which the City Treasurer’s Office was in charge.

Elizabeth Manalo, public schools district superintendent, said that as of 9 a.m. yesterday, 80 percent of the city’s 2,827 precincts had yet to start the voting. The Comelec had set voting time for between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.; but at noon time, hundreds of teachers were still waiting in line at the Treasurer’s Office for election materials – from ballot boxes to official ballots, election returns to tally boards, as well as padlocks, indelible ink, even pens.

According to Jose, however, their office finished preparing the materials at about 4 a.m. yesterday and they were ready for distribution at the Caloocan City Trade Center across the city hall.

"But the teachers were in a hurry and they started pushing each other for the ballot boxes and election materials," a teary-eyed Jose told The STAR in Filipino.

Rodolfo Claveria, election security officer told reporters, also in between sobs, that they were ready to distribute the election paraphernalia between 4 and 5 a.m. when it suddenly rained.

Claveria claimed that the teachers became unruly, adding that those assigned to distribute the paraphernalia could no longer control the crowd. "Nagkapalit-palit tuloy ng ballot boxes dahil nagkanya-kanya na ng kuha ang mga teachers. (Wrong ballot boxes were taken as the teachers, on their own, took whatever paraphernalia they could get hold of)," he said.

However, Mario Amora, legal counsel for mayoral candidate Luis "Baby" Asistio told The STAR that he was at the trade center at 4:30 a.m. and the materials were ready but nobody from the Comelec was distributing anything to the teachers.

He then informed city election officer Ramos, but in return, was told that the Comelec officials assigned to distribute the ballot boxes and election paraphernalia had been replaced by city hall employees.

Amora added that when the distribution started, only one door at the trade center was used as both entrance and exit. "That’s how the commotion started that even resulted in a stampede," he said. Amora belied Claveria’s claim that it was the rain that caused the melee.

Ramos said that he received reports that some of the paraphernalia had not been placed inside the ballot boxes, in accordance with the system of distribution set by the Comelec.

Moreover, the teachers complained that they had to go to different offices in the city hall for the supplies.

"We had to go from one office to another just to get the supplies," said Felicidad Bacay, a teacher from Macario V. Asistio High School assigned to Barangay 14, Precinct 430-A.

Bacay said some teachers were hurt in the stampede at the trade center when some of the paraphernalia were distributed. She added that teachers may have to make do with wet and torn tally boards.

"This is a big problem," said Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chair Benjamin Abalos upon learning of Jose’s admission.

Abalos, together with re-electionist Mayor Reynaldo Malonzo and Philippine National Police (PNP) Director for Operations Edgar Aglipay, went to the city hall to talk to the city treasurer.

Among the schools that had not received any ballot boxes and election paraphernalia as of 9:30 a.m. were Kaunlaran Elementary School, A. Bonifacio Elementary School, Macario V. Asistio High School, MLQU Elementary School, Tala Elementary School, Bagong Silang Main Elementary School, and Caloocan Elementary School.

Comelec Chairman Alfredo Benipayo has invited Jose for questioning to shed light on the matter. As of 11 a.m., Benipayo said, voting in 90 percent of the precincts in Caloocan had started. The commission also passed a resolution authorizing the extension of elections beyond 3 p.m. yesterday afternoon provided the voters were already inside the schools where their precincts are located. – Jerry Botial