BRIEFING. Commission on Elections (Comelec) officials headed by chairman George Garcia (3rd from left), in a press conference held at the Comelec Command Center in Manila on Tuesday (Oct. 31, 2023). Garcia said the poll body will provide a maximum of PHP200,000 to teachers who have been injured while performing their duties as Election Boards. (PNA photo by Ferdinand G. Patinio)
MANILA – Some 19 election-related deaths in seven regions have been recorded so far in the just concluded 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSKE), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) reported on Tuesday.
Based on data provided by the poll body, the number of election-related violence or incidents was recorded from August 28 to October 31.
Of the number, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) recorded the highest with 11 deaths, 13 incidents and 14 injured or wounded.
Two deaths each were recorded in Regions V (Bicol) and VII (Central Visayas).
Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR), and Regions IX (Zamboanga Peninsula), IV-A (Calabarzon), and I (Ilocos) with one death each.
Injured teachers
Meanwhile, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the poll body is ready to provide hospital assistance amounting to PHP200,000 to teachers who have been injured while performing their duties as Election Boards (EBs).
“We will provide them the maximum of PHP200,000 hospital assistance,” he said in a press briefing.
The poll body chief reported that less than 10 teachers were injured -- one was bitten by a snake, three were involved in a vehicular accident, while one had a heart attack.
Honoraria
Garcia noted that they started the distribution of honoraria to teachers in Region 3 (Central Luzon).
He also promised that the payment of teachers in other parts of the country will be given until the end of the week.
“They (teachers) will get their honoraria until Friday as long as proclamation has been made,” the poll body chairman said.
BSKE 2023 ERIs lower by 12.5% vs. 2018 BSKE
The number of validated election-related incidents (ERIs) for the BSKE 2023 was lower by 12.5 percent as compared to BSKE in 2018 (29.82%), the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday.
PNP Information chief and spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the 35 ERIs during the election period for the BSKE 2023 is 12.5 percent lower than the number of validated incidents in the 2018 BSKE.
Of the 35 ERIs, 13 happened in the Bangsamoro region, five in Cordillera, four in Northern Mindanao, three each in Ilocos and Eastern Visayas, two each in Bicol and Central Visayas, and one each in Calabarzon, Zamboanga Peninsula and National Capital Region, Fajardo said.
It said 17 of these election-related violence/incidence (ERVIs) were shooting incidents. The PNP said that 103 incidents are under investigation while 99 incidents were confirmed as non-ERIs.
Fajardo said the PNP is now shifting focus on the post-election scenario such as providing security for the transportation of ballot boxes to the Comelec central office in Manila.
“Ongoing pa yung mga canvassing ng votes, may mga proclamation at ihahatid pa yung election forms doon sa mga Comelec hubs, and babantayan pa natin yung peace and security doon sa mga areas dahil alam natin na medyo mainit yung local elections, barangay elections (The canvassing of votes is still going on, there are proclamations and the election forms need to be delivered to the Comelec hubs. We will keep an eye on the peace and security in the areas because we know that the local elections and barangay elections are intense),” Fajardo told reporters in a press briefing held at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
The election period for the BSKE will end on Nov. 29.
“Hanggang Nov. 29 pa yung imposition ng gun ban kasi nga tinitingnan na hindi natatapos yung Oct. 30 election. Ang post-election scenarios ay binabantayan kaya wala pa tayong pinupull-out na mga pulis natin hangga't matapos yung mga post-election activities (The imposition of gun ban is until Nov. 29 because it is seen that Oct. 30 election is not yet over. The post-election scenarios are being monitored, so we have not pulled out any of our police officers until the post-election activities are over),” said Fajardo. (PNA)
