THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday wrapped up the three-day public hearings on the proposed deferment of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) in Negros Oriental.
Lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano, acting director of Comelec 7 (Central Visayas), told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that there were no untoward incidents reported in what he described as a “successful” staging of the public hearings.
“I am happy and satisfied that people from various sectors openly participated in the discussions and surprisingly, there were no unfriendly confrontations from opposing sides,” Castillano said.
“The turnout was more than what I expected and what was interesting is that both sides were heard and people were not afraid to speak up.”
He said he made sure the security, provided by both the police and the Army, was tight at the venues.
Castillano met with the various election officers in the afternoon to consolidate their reports for submission to the Comelec en banc.
Meanwhile, he said a shooting incident in Bayawan City shortly before sundown on Wednesday did not have a significant impact on the public hearings, noting that people still flocked to the venues the following day.
Castillano said he would leave it to the police to investigate and determine whether the incident would have a bearing on the security aspect of the BSKE in the province.
In a related development, Msgr. Julius Perpetuo Heruela, the convener of the Diocesan Electoral Board (DEB) of the Diocese of Dumaguete, thanked the Comelec for consulting the people on their sentiments regarding the BSKE.
Heruela, who also represented the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) in the diocese, expressed hope that the poll body would make a sound and objective decision on the appropriate date for the holding of the barangay and SK elections in the province.
The main concern now of the DEB/PPCRV is to increase its voters’ education in the barangays, considering that this would be an intense electoral exercise and people tend to fall prey to vote buying.
The public hearings were conducted due to calls from some quarters to postpone the elections set on Oct. 30 to give time for security forces to set in place measures that would ensure the safety of the people after the province's peace was rocked by the March 4 assassination of Gov. Roel Degamo. (PNA)