Zero violence in recent BSK elections credited to “disciplined” Ilocanos

“I can say that the people of Ilocos Norte are organized and disciplined. It [election] was very peaceful. Wala man lang tayong recorded violent incidents naelection-related,” remarked PSupt. Cesar de los Reyes Pasiwen, Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office (INPPO), as the province of Ilocos Norte recorded zero incidence in election-related violence during the nationwide barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) last May 14.

The BSKE are conducted every three years as mandated by the Commission on Elections (ComElec), and after being put on hold for 5years, the SK election, which was supposed to be held last October 2017, was moved to May 2018.

Ilocos Norte Governor Imee R. Marcos earlier urged the INPPO to strengthen security measures and maintain peace and order in the province and cited previous election-related violence:
“The violence among friends and families has always been very high in the past.Dapat mag-ingat po tayo dahil ang karahasan sa barangay elections ay napakataas. Kung minsan hindi natin pinapansin pero mas madugo ang barangay elections.”

Majority of the candidates had undergone voluntary drug-testing in support to the governor’s initiatives for peaceful and orderly elections. The names of drug-cleared candidates were posted in the INPPO bulletin as proof for their non-involvement in such cases.

“Pina-igting natin and aming pagpapatrolya, at nagsagawa rin tayo ng mgacheckpoints sa buong probinsiya, ” PSupt. Pasiwen said.

The main areas of concerns for the INPPO were the municipalities of Pasuquin, Bacarra, and Marcos,following a history of election-related incidence.

Pasiwen also lauded and credited the Ilocanos for achieving generally peaceful elections, saying, “Amin tayo a umili (lahat tayong magkakababayan) ay may pagkaka-isa, lalo na ang ating mga local officials na tumulong din sa atin bilang mga force multipliers kasama rin and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).”

“Sana sa darating pang mga halalan, ganito pa rin kaayos at panatilihin nating mapayapa,” he ended.# (PGIN-CMO)