• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
“So far, so good”.
This was how Provincial Elections Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria described the campaign period for the synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) in Negros Occidental for the past several days.
Candidates are allowed to officially campaign from Oct. 19 to 28, based on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) rules.
Ananoria said they have not monitored any election-related violence, especially in the 51 election areas of concern (EACs).
The encounter in Barangay Canlusong, E.B. Magalona last week has nothing to do with the elections and thus, not considered an election-related violent incident, he added.
In a statement, the New People’s Army Roselyn Pelle Command in northern Negros said they will not disrupt the electoral process, and will allow the candidates to campaign freely, and the voters to choose their favored candidates.
Ananoria said the violation to Comelec rules and regulations appears to be less, which he partly attributes to the show-cause orders for premature campaigning issued to 148 candidates in the province.
Meanwhile, Ananoria said all accountable forms for the BSKE have already arrived in the province over the weekend.
“We are currently verifying the completeness of the ballots, election returns and other election paraphernalia,” he said. | GB
