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Comelec lauds PNP for keeping polls ‘peaceful’


The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday thanked the Philippine National Police (PNP) for doing its part in making the country’s first ever nationwide automated polls “good" and “peaceful." Election Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal visited on Wednesday the PNP national headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City to personally thank police officers for their “good job" during the May 10 polls. “We (the Comelec) would like to extend our thanks to the chief PNP for all (his) help and support in ensuring a really good election," he said in an interview with reporters on Wednesday. Larrazabal specifically thanked the PNP for its strict implementation of the election gun ban, which he said was instrumental in reducing incidents of election-related violence this year. The PNP pegged the number of poll-related violent incidents this year at 82, with 27 people killed and 40 others injured. This figure is way lower than the 229 election-related violent incidents reported during the 2007 elections, which left 37 people killed and 24 others injured. PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Leonardo Espina, for his part, said the “peaceful" conduct of elections would not have succeeded without the help of the military and the Comelec itself. Espina likewise said that the public and religious groups also played “key roles" in maintaining peace during the polls.—Andreo C. Calonzo/JV, GMANews.TV

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