THOUSANDS OF SECURITY FORCES ON ALERT AHEAD OF PHILIPPINE PREZ ELECTION
MANILA: More than 60,000 security forces in the Philippines were on alert Sunday to safeguard ballots and polling stations on the eve of the presidential election, after police reported some deaths after an outbreak of violence.
Filipinos vote on Monday to choose President Rodrigo Duterte’s successor, a vice-president, 12 senators, hundreds of congressmen and thousands of governors, mayors and provincial and city councillors. More than 18,000 posts are up for grabs in the elections.
The presidential race is a rematch between Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, the son and namesake of the country’s late dictator, and Leni Robredo, the human rights lawyer who narrowly beat him in the 2016 vice presidential contest.
Three months of divisive campaigning ended on Saturday, with Marcos and Robredo making final bids to sway undecided voters with patriotic, upbeat messages. Duterte did not endorse a presidential candidate, but his party backs front-runners Marcos and his running mate, Duterte’s daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio.
Philippine National Police spokesperson Jean Fajardo told another briefing the pre-election situation was “relatively peaceful”, with 16 election-related offences, including shootings in Nueva Ecija and Ilocos Sur provinces. In one of the worst incidents, four people were killed Saturday in a gun battle between armed supporters of mayoral rivals in Magsingal town in the northern province of Ilocos Sur. Personnel from the police, armed forces and coast guard have fanned out across the archipelago to help secure polling stations, escort poll officials and guard checkpoints.