Troops, armor secure special elections in Lanao del Sur town
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — Voting went smoothly during special elections in Tubaran, Lanao del Sur that were secured by police and military personnel in full battle gear.
Armored vehicles were also posted Tangcal Central Elementary School, one of theree polling centers in the town.
Police Patrolman Omar Gampong, who was assigned to the entrance of the school, said they only allowed registered voters to come in one at a time to vote.
"We allow them to come in individually for their security and to give the voters the freedom to exercise their right to vote and choice freely their candidates," Gampong told media.
Motorists are not allowed to park near the school and voters have to walk around a kilometer to get to the voting area. Bags are also prohibited and voters are only allowed to bring IDs.
Jabar Malang, a voter and resident of the area, said the conduct of the special election was a big help for them who were not able to participate in the May 9 elections because of security issues.
"This is really a big help for us to exercise freely because we decided not to go out last May 9 because of the incidents that happened," Malang said in Filipino.
The Commission on Elections, on May 11, declared failure of elections in the 12 barangays of Tubaran due to violence on election day.
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