LANAO DEL SUR (Mindanao Examiner / 27 May) – Philippine soldiers and policemen on Sunday guarded the counting of votes from special elections marred with violence, fraud and cheating in the province of Lanao del Sur.
Security officials said the counting held in Marawi City was peaceful and that there were no reports of post-elections violence in the province, one of five under the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Armed clashes and violence marred Saturday’s polls in Lanao. Three government soldiers guarding the polls were killed and three others, including two civilians, had been injured in separate attacks in the province.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) held special polls in 13 towns in Lanao del Sur where massive fraud and cheating had been reported by an independent elections watchdog, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV).
“The counting of ballots in Marawi is peaceful. There are no reports of violence,” the head of the regional police force, Chief Superintendent Joel Goltiao, told the Mindanao Examiner newspaper.
Tension was high before and after elections in the province where gunmen randomly attacked polling places with grenades and rifle fires. Authorities blamed armed supporters of politicians as behind the attacks.
A villager in Marawi City said they heard gunshots during the counting of votes and could not say whether it was connected to the canvassing.
But Goltiao said the shot was fired by a government soldier in the air to control a huge crowd trying to disturb the counting of votes.
Security officials said the counting held in Marawi City was peaceful and that there were no reports of post-elections violence in the province, one of five under the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Armed clashes and violence marred Saturday’s polls in Lanao. Three government soldiers guarding the polls were killed and three others, including two civilians, had been injured in separate attacks in the province.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) held special polls in 13 towns in Lanao del Sur where massive fraud and cheating had been reported by an independent elections watchdog, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV).
“The counting of ballots in Marawi is peaceful. There are no reports of violence,” the head of the regional police force, Chief Superintendent Joel Goltiao, told the Mindanao Examiner newspaper.
Tension was high before and after elections in the province where gunmen randomly attacked polling places with grenades and rifle fires. Authorities blamed armed supporters of politicians as behind the attacks.
A villager in Marawi City said they heard gunshots during the counting of votes and could not say whether it was connected to the canvassing.
But Goltiao said the shot was fired by a government soldier in the air to control a huge crowd trying to disturb the counting of votes.
“It was just a warning shot to control the unruly crowd, but everything turns out to be alright. We are on top of the situation,” Goltiao said.
Major General Nememias Pajarito, commander of the Philippine Army’s First Infantry Division, said troops were deployed in Lanao del Sur to secure the polls and the counting of votes.
“We are happy to report that the counting day turned out to be peaceful. Military and police forces are on top of the situation. We are in control,” Pajarito said in a separate interview.
Many villagers in Lanao del Sur said they failed to cast their votes Saturday because of the presence of gunmen, who were followers of opposing politicians.
The head of the PPCRV, Tita de Villa, who was in Lanao del Sur on Saturday, said she was a witness to massive cheating and fraud in the province.
She claimed she saw one election inspector hid official ballots inside her bag and that in other polling areas there were two sets of voters’ lists.
“You can’t really vote freely because everybody is at your neck. The climate is impossible for people to vote freely and orderly. From what we see, I think there will be failure of elections again,” De Villa said. (With reports from Mark Navales, Merlyn Manos and Juan Magtanggol)
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