All set for village polls in Bohol, Zambo City today

MANILA, Philippines - All is set for the holding of the special barangay elections in Bohol province and Zamboanga City today.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Sixto Brillantes said they have completed all the preparations for the special barangay polls.

Manual voting starts at 7 a.m. and ends 3 p.m. in 2,599 clustered precincts in 1,066 voting centers in Bohol, and in 1,183 clustered precincts in 117 voting centers in Zamboanga City.

The canvassing of votes and proclamation of winners, Brillantes said, will follow as soon as the balloting ends.

Some voting centers in Bohol will be using makeshift tents because schools there have been destroyed by the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that rocked the Visayas recently, Brillantes said.

Brillantes said they are not anticipating any problems in the conduct of the special polls both Bohol and Zamboanga City.

There are a total of 1,109 barangays with 799,089 registered voters in Bohol.

Zamboanga City, recently affected by hostilities between government forces and Moro National Liberation Front rebels, has 98 barangays with 412,661 registered voters.

According to Brillantes, Comelec officials are flying to Bohol and Zamboanga City today to personally observe the holding of the special elections.

Brillantes and Commissioners Al Parreno and Grace Padaca are monitoring the polls in Zamboanga City, while Commissioners Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusoph are going to Bohol.

Comelec Commissioners Luie Guia and Christian Lim will be monitoring the special balloting in Manila.