Eastern Visayas polls ‘generally peaceful’

TACLOBAN CITY— Despite some isolated cases of poll irregularities, the conduct of elections in the region was described as "generally peaceful" by regional officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Army.

An international observer, Nana Yuliana, political officer of the Indonesian Embassy, also agreed with the observation, saying that the conduct of elections in the region were indeed "peaceful."

Yuliana was in the region to observe the political exercise as her country would also be holding its first direct presidential elections in July

A total of 26 persons were charged by the Comelec in the region for either vote-buying or transporting campaign materials beyond the allowed time. They were apprehended separately by police officers at a checkpoint in Barangay Diit here on Sunday evening.

In Tabon-tabon Leyte, three members of the media were detained for two hours at the town’s police station upon the complaint of re-electionist Vice Mayor Efren Redoqa that members of the media members were "causing some troubles."

The three were identified as Francis Batula of radio station DyDW, Ben Verdiano of Manila Stadard and Jack Gadaingan of Manila Bulletin. But the three said they were in the town to observe the conduct of elections as there were reports of massive vote-buying in Tabon-Tabon.

In Merida, also in Leyte, Eufemio Miralles and Jaime Jingco, supporters of mayoralty candidate Chancy Bohoist were reported to have been abducted by a group of armed men early Monday morning while on their way home after a attending a political meeting at the house of Bohoist.

But still Comelec Regional Director lawyer Ferdinan Rafanan said that the conduct of elections in the entire region was "generally peaceful."

"I’m quite satisfied with the conduct of the elections in the region," he told The STAR.

However, he disclosed that in an en banc resolution, the towns of Oras, Eastern Samar and Tagapul-an and Tarangan, both in Samar were placed under Comelec control.

The declaration was due to intense political rivalry among candidates.

This early, Rafanan coul not say as to the turn out of voters. The region has more than 2.2 million voters.