Eighty percent voter turnout in Lapu-Lapu

CEBU, Philippines - Eighty percent of the voting population in Lapu-Lapu City cast their votes in Monday’s elections.

Lapu-Lapu City Election officer Ferdinand Gujilde yesterday said the turnout of voters was very encouraging despite some glitches in the first-ever automated elections.

Lapu-Lapu City has a total of 167,085 registered voters but only 134,653 voted in the 190 clustered precincts, which means, according to Gujilde, 32, 432 failed to participate in the exercise.

“Taas gihapon ang turnout sa pagbotar. Maingon nato nga 80 percent ang namotar gyud,” Guijilde said.

The long queue in every polling precinct is the prevalent problem encountered by voters but true to the desire of most people, the long line did not deter them from casting their votes, the election officer said.

Some Precinct Count Optical Scan bogged down due to heat and some Compact Flash Cards malfunctioned but were replaced.

There are several factors, which Gujilde sees the huge percentage of voters voted – the curiosity of the people about the use of Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machine and the presidential elections, which the people are excited to vote.

“The people want to participate in the electoral process,” Gujilde added despite that there are PCOS machines that need to be attended.

Furthermore, it was observed that classrooms are too small to accommodate the large number of voters in the clustered precincts and the system should be improved.

Lapu-Lapu City police chief Mariano Natuel Jr., in a separate interview, said the turnout of the election was generally peaceful despite the protest of supporters defeated mayoral candidate Junard Chan in front of the city hall prior to the proclamation of winners. (FREEMAN NEWS)