Zamboanga City (PIA) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) reported a voter turnout of 82.59 percent in the Zamboanga Peninsula during the recently concluded national and local elections, affirming a peaceful and orderly electoral process.
COMELEC Election Officer Attorney Edzmar S. Alpha answers questions from the media along with WESMINCOM Commander Lieutenant General Antonio G Nafarrete in Kapihan sa Rehiyon Nueve.
“Nagampanan natin ng maayos ang election. Nagkaroon tayo ng free, honest, orderly and credible elections,” Comelec Election Officer Attorney Edzmar S. Alpha said during the Kapihan sa Rehiyon Nueve forum.
(We were able to carry out the election well. We had free, honest, orderly, and credible elections.)
Alpha attributed the success to strong coordination among government agencies and the commitment of security forces to maintain peace and order during the elections.
Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Mindanao Command (AFP-WESMINCOM) Commander Lieutenant General Antonio G Nafarrete confirmed that no-major election-related incidents were recorded on Election Day, except for a few isolated scuffles in certain areas.
Nafarrete credited the smooth conduct of the polls to the early deployment of security personnel, active communication among agencies and the cooperation of candidates .
“Malaki ang pagbabago ng ating halalan. Pwede naman pala bumoto ng walang putukan” (There has been a big change in the conduct of our elections. We can vote without any sound of gunfire), Nafarrete said, noting increased public confidence during the voting process.
“Yung takot ay nawala, at mas nagkaroon ng confidence [ang mga tao],” he added. (The fear disappeared, and people gained more confidence.)
COMELEC and law enforcement agencies said they plan to replicate the best practices from this election in the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSK) and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) elections later this year.(JPA/CCP/PIA9)
