Thursday, May 17, 2007 (Philippines)

READY TO GO. Ballot boxes from Bogo, Cebu, under heavy guard, are readied for transfer to the Capitol in Cebu City. The ballot boxes arrived at the Capitol last night, ready for the resumption of canvassing this morning. Note the crowd in background, whose protest and the tension it created largely prompted the transfer of canvassing site. (Sun.Star Photo/Alex Badayos) THE canvassing of votes in Bogo town was suspended yesterday after tension heated up between supporters of congressional candidates Celestino “Tining” Martinez III and Benhur Salimbangon. It will resume today in the Provincial Capitol with a new board of canvassers, amid officials’ hopes that placing 101 kilometers between most of the warring camps’ supporters and the canvassing will help defuse the tension. Salimbangon, however, is considering a plan to file a petition for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to declare a failure of elections in Bogo. Pinoy Votes: Sun.Star Election 2007 [full story]