By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
“We came to observe a clean, democratic elections, but I cannot conclude that it was,” said Justine Kiwanuka, a delegate of the People’s International Observers’ Mission.
By GERMELINA LACORTE / Davao Today
Carmen Gultiano, a voter in one of the precinct clusters at the Daniel Aguinaldo National High School, came out of her precinct tired, agitated and unable to hide her frustrations after spending six hours just to vote. Gultiano arrived at her precinct at eight o’clock in the morning and was only able to vote at two thirty in the afternoon.
BANGUED, ABRA — Theodore C. Lopez of the US Embassy together with three other companions were in Abra during the elections. Theodore C. Lopez approached a delegate of the PIOM while waiting for the opening of the canvassing area in the Provincial Capitol. The PIOM team asked Vanessa Roncal, supervisor of the Comelec in the region, if she knew about the presence of US embassy personnel in Bangued. Roncal replied that the US embassy personnel came right after the PIOM paid a visit to the Comelec Regional office.
By RAYMUND B. VILLANUEVA / Kodao Productions / Bulatlat.com
I was caught in the middle of a gunfight that lasted hours in Tugaya, Lanao del Sur while covering the country’s first-ever automated elections. I don’t know if being ‘caught in the middle’ is a correct description because I was there as a journalist and had prior knowledge that that town is a poll hotspot. But I use it nonetheless because I did not want the gunfight to happen, much less witness it up close.
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Team of foreign election observers experience threat, harassments, and intimidation by military in Abra.
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
With reports from CIELO EUNICE FLORES
Reports reveal more problems toward the end of election day.
By RAYMUND B. VILLANUEVA
Nothing seems to have changed in the conduct of elections in Lanao.
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
The May 10 elections have officially began. As expected, the first five hours were far from smooth.
Lubao, Pampanga, the hometown of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, will be one of the destinations of the biggest international mission to observe the 2010 elections. Composed of delegates from Australia, Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Hongkong, Taiwan, France, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands, the People’s International Observers Mission (PIOM) has officially started.
CAVITE — Delegates of the People’s International Observers’ Mission participated in the mock elections in San Labrador Town in Dasmariñas, Cavite today, May 9, 2010. In Dasmariñas North National High School, one precint experienced glitches when votes for some local candidates were not counted by the PCOS machine. The problem was solved when the CF card was replaced.