THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Davao Region is still validating the turnout in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) held Monday, May 14.
Comelec-Davao deputy director Marlon Casquejo and spokesperson Krisna Samantha Caballero both said the agency is still in the process of gathering all results.
"So far so good. But we do not have the numbers yet nor the percentage of those who voted on the election because all the results and materials are not with us yet," Caballero said.
Casquejo said there are also barangays that would have yet to proclaim the winning candidates in the BSKE. For now, Comelec is working on the teachers’ honorarium.
Board of Canvasser chairman Laiza Mae Justo, meanwhile, said that based on their observation in Barangay Ilang in Tibungco, only a few voted.
"Sa area na akoang gi-serbisyohan, kasagaran mi-botar sa SK anaa sa edad 18 pataas, samtang 17-and-below maihap ra. Mura gani dili aware ang uban. Kung sa barangay anaa ra sa 60 percent miboto. Didto ra pud na area (In the area I served, most of those who voted for the SK election are 18 and above. Very few voted among the 17 and below. It seems like the young ones are not aware. For the barangay elections, around 60 percent voted)," Justo said.
Amparo Pendang, 43, a voter from Barangay Mintal in Tugbok District, said many voted but most of those who didn't were those who were unfamiliar with the candidates.
"Mibotar jud ko gahapon (Monday). Nakaila man pud gud ko sa tanan kandidato namo sa barangay. Kahibaw jud ko kinsa tong iboto ug kinsa ang dili botaran (I voted on Monday. I know most of the candidates in our barangay. I know who to vote and not vote)," Pendang said.
Jairah Nacadue, 24, a voter from Barangay 76-A Bucana, Boulevard, said she was not able to vote because she went on a trip with her relatives. She added that she is also not familiar with the barangay officials in the 76-A.
As of Monday afternoon, the Comelec-Davao and the government law enforcers were one in saying that the election was generally peaceful, despite reports on vote buying and giving of sample ballots.