CEBU, Philippines - The special barangay elections in Bohol Province was peaceful based on the assessment of Police Regional Office (PRO) - 7 Director, Chief Supt. Danilo Constantino.
Constantino said that the deployment of almost 1,000 policemen to Bohol was a very big help in maintaining peace and order, as well as to support the Commission on Elections.
Deputy Regional Director for Administration, Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo and Deputy Regional Director for Operation, Sr. Supt. Orlando Ualat were also in Bohol to supervise the troops.
Police were monitoring five barangays considered as areas of concern. These include barangays Cawang, Bantuan and Bunot-Bunot in Buenavista; Barangay Yanawa in Pilar and Barangay Cuaming in Inabanga.
The Regional Intelligence Division (RID)-7 also disclosed that there were no more private armed groups monitored in Bohol after the two identified groups were found to be no longer active for the past two elections.
Constantino said they have not received any complaint from candidates and supporters.
“Bohol has three congressional districts at ‘yung PNP personnel natin ay naka-deploy na sa iba’t ibang areas at wala tayong natanggap na complaints kahit isa,†Constantino said in a press conference.
Meanwhile, in Loay, Bohol, Calbario barangay captain Emirita Ganzon alleged that their mayor, Rosemarie Lim Imboy, ordered to stop the voting process and rearranged the chairs inside a polling precinct in the barangay at around 3:00p.m. yesterday.
But, Constantino clarified that no commotion happened since Imboy only wanted to get the dividers between the chairs inside the polling precinct.
“May nakaharang na mga dividers du’n at pinaalis lang niya pero continuous ang voting natin,†he said in a phone interview, adding that additional policemen were sent to the said polling precinct. /QSB (FREEMAN)