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Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said on Tuesday that the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections were “generally peaceful” despite the eight reported violent incidents on Monday.

“Overall, I am personally satisfied with the outcome of all election security operations by PNP Units despite the long duty hours that commenced on Friday, May 11, 2018 when we placed the entire PNP under full alert condition to assume election duties,” he said in a statement.

“The 2018 Barangay and SK Election was generally peaceful,” he added.

Albayalde said there were eight suspected election-related violent incidents monitored by the PNP during the Election Day.

“On election day yesterday, we monitored eight suspected violent incidents including seven minor incidents in South Cotabato, Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur,” he said.

“The violence resulted in a lone fatality in South Cotabato. These incidents add up to a total of 38 suspected election-related shooting incidents reported since the election period began on April 14, 2018,” he added.

Albayalde also mentioned that there were also eight reported incidents of vote-buying recorded in “Cavite, Batangas City, Tarlac, Bohol, Taguig City, Aklan, Negros Occidental and Lucena City, wherein arrests were made by local police for violation of the Omnibus Election Code.”

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Camilo Pancratius Cascolan said there were three minor incidents monitored within Metro Manila.

“The Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan 2018 has been generally peaceful except for three incidents of mauling in front of voting precinct in San Andres Bukid in Metro Manila, physical injury and vote buying in Marhalika, Taguig City,” he said.

However, Cascolan also noted the arrest of 357 offenders of Omnibus Election Code from April 14 to May 14.

He noted that 30 of them were arrested for liquor ban, while 126 assorted firearms and 650 other deadly weapons were confiscated.

Albayalde also said that the PNP personnel would continue with their election duties until the whole election process is completed next week.

“The task is not yet over for the PNP as we will continue to perform election duties as deputies of the Comelec (Commission on Elections) until May 21, 2018,” Albayalde said.

“PNP personnel performing election duty continue to man their posts in some voting centers where counting, canvassing and proclamation activities are still being held, as we speak,” he noted.

“These units, particularly the 1,404 police personnel detailed as members of the Board of Election Tellers are under strict instructions to remain in their assigned posts until after all election activities are completed and election materials had been returned to local Comelec authorities in the cities and municipalities,” he added. Robina Asido/DMS