Tuesday, May 01, 2007 16 watercrafts to serve island villages on May 14 By Bong Garcia
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) and Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) are renting watercrafts to be used in transporting the election paraphernalia to this city's island barangays for the May 14 elections.
Local police chief Manuel Barcena said they needed, at least, 16 watercrafts to be able to serve all of the 10 island barangays located in this city's east coast.
Barcena said the watercrafts would also be used by his personnel tasked to secure the polling places in the island barangays aside from transporting election paraphernalia and Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs).
He said they would not utilize any watercraft whose owner is identified with any of the candidates, especially from district II that covers the island barangays, to avoid controversy on the day of the elections.
He said that the 10 island barangays will be jointly secured by his men and elements from the military's Task Force Zamboanga, saying "it is an area of concern."
District II election officer Jesus Posadas said they have requested the Comelec en banc to allow them to distribute the election paraphernalia in the island barangays three days before the elections.
Posadas said they are still waiting for the decision of the Comelec en banc.
