Report: Saturday's special polls off to peaceful start

Amid tight security, special barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kabataan (youth council) elections in two provinces in Mindanao and some areas in Central Luzon started peacefully Saturday morning. Government-run dzRB radio reported police recruits from Regions 10 and 11 in Mindanao are serving as Board of Inspectors to dispel possible charges partisanship in the electoral process. Special elections were held Saturday in Basilan province, some areas in Lanao del Sur and the first district of Bulacan in Central Luzon. Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao deputy regional director for administration Senior Superintendent Salik Macapantar said police and soldiers guarded the precincts to prevent poll-related violence. Earlier, a Church-based poll watchdog group said it hopes election and security officials have learned their lessons from the problems that hounded the Oct. 25 polls. Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) chairwoman Henrietta de Villa said they expect a much smoother conduct of elections this time around. "Hindi naman marami ito, ilang lugar lang. Sana naman walang aberya (The polls will be held in a few places. We hope there is no glitch this time)," she said in an interview on dwIZ radio earlier this week. The election glitches last October 25 mainly involved problems in the delivery of election paraphernalia. "Maraming leksyon ito (Many lessons are to be learned from the Oct. 25 elections)," de Villa said. For its part, the Philippine National Police vowed to implement the extended gun ban in the areas where the special elections will be held. Radio dzBB reported Philippine National Police chief Director General Raul Bacalzo also said cops remain on alert against an expected increase in crime as the Christmas holidays draw closer. — LBG, GMANews.TV