By Priam Nepomuceno/Philippine News Agency
MANILA — Careful planning and coordination thwarted violence from taking place in Monday’s polls.
“The places where we expected to be marred with violence did not materialize. The conduct of the National and Local Elections is generally peaceful compared to the one that we are expecting that there will be widespread violence but it did not happen,” said Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief, Col. Noel Detoyato, in a message to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) Tuesday.
Minimal violence was attributed to the careful preparations of the AFP, Philippine National Police and Commission on Elections (Comelec) before the polls took place, Detoyato pointed out.
“Also, security forces will remain until all results are transmitted and all ballots are safely returned to the municipal board of canvassers,” he said.
Earlier, AFP spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, said groups attempting to sabotage the polls will not succeed.
He added that this coordination will ensure that the mid-term elections will be orderly, peaceful and credible aside from giving voters the opportunity to freely choose their desired candidates in casting their ballots.
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