by Nimfa L. Estrellado The Quezon Police Provincial Office - Quezon Pulis (QPPO) has not recorded a single election-related violence in the...
The Quezon Police Provincial Office - Quezon Pulis (QPPO) has not recorded a single election-related violence in the province during the mid-term elections on Monday.
PSSupt Osmundo V. De Guzman, police Acting-Provincial Director, said in a an interview on Tuesday the conduct of the polls has been “generally peaceful, secure and honest”.
“Very peaceful. It ended with no election-related violent incident,” he added.
Aside from reports of alleged vote-buying, long lines, power interruption, and malfunctioning vote counting machines, there has been no major disturbance that led to violence anywhere in Quezon Province.
“Generally peaceful” even while the mood was somewhat dampened by the malfunctioning of vote counting machines as polling precincts opened at 6 a.m. on Election Day.
De Guzman police said the provincial office of the Commission on Elections and local election officers expeditiously responded to minor technical glitches and malfunctioning of the machines as voters started to swarm the polling precincts in public schools early Monday.
De Guzman said the election officers attributed the minor machine malfunction to overheating, paper jam, and technical issues, but these were repaired or replaced immediately and the polls went on smoothly.
Even in Lucena City, considered by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as “hotspot” or area of grave concern, the residents were able to vote freely and the winners were known before midnight.
Lucena City, which was put under Comelec control on last election, was placed due to election-related incidents in the past two elections and intense political rivalry and also with a serious armed threat posed by the New People’s Army and other lawless elements.
De Guzman expressed his appreciation to the police units who guarded the polling centers for “almost 72 hours”.
He also thanked the Comelec and Armed Forces of the Philippines for their collaboration with the Quezon Province police to ensure the conduct of peaceful and credible elections in the province.
