Ballot forms ‘safe’ at bishop’s house

GUARDING ballots for the May 10 election has started for Bangued diocese where truckloads of forms have arrived in the compound of the bishop’s house.

A Philippine National Police team from outside Abra Province in northern Philippines has been guarding the padlocked trucks around the clock since they arrived on April 26.

Divine Word Bishop Leopoldo Jaucian of Bangued granted the request of Provincial Election Supervisor Vanessa Roncal to store the ballots inside the compound until they are “distributed to the 340 clustered voting precincts,” Father Drexel Ramos told UCA News on April 28.

“No one would dare raid the bishop’s compound to destroy the ballots or the vans,” said the priest who is in charge of election concerns in the diocese.

However, he said he is unsure about the safety of the ballots once they leave the walled compound.

The Philippine National Police listed mountainous Abra as an election hotspot because of reports of violence during polls. Communist rebels and armed groups are present in the area.

No candidates have been reported killed this year, but armed men in uniform have reportedly asked villagers who they were voting for.

Various clans have several members running for national and local posts. One candidate is a brother of a congressman assassinated in 2006.

New Armed Forces of the Philippines troops have also arrived in the province to help keep order during the election period.

Father Ramos supports a petition to place Abra province under the control of the Commission on Elections.

The Comelec commissioner assigned to the province would be acting as governor and have stronger control over provincial and law enforcement agencies, the priest pointed out.

Voting machines for the province arrived at the Comelec headquarters in Banqued on April 28.

Father Ramos expressed concern over reports that there is one machine short and that there are no back-ups in the case of theft or machine breakdown.

Read UCA News report