Philippines holds village, youth elections amid sporadic violence

Oct 29, 2007, 3:02 GMT

Manila - Millions of voters trooped to polling precincts in the Philippines on Monday to elect village officials and youth council representatives amid sporadic incidents of violence.

The Commission on Elections expects voter turnout to be high at about 70 per cent of 51.3 million Filipinos who have registered to vote. More than 670,000 posts are up for grabs in the elections.

The military and the police have been on red alert since the weekend amid warnings that communist rebels and other groups might disrupt the voting.

Police said that prior to election day, 23 people have been killed and 19 wounded in 42 election-related violent incidents since September 29, when a ban on guns took effect ahead of the polls.

Although low-keyed and non-partisan, the elections are considered crucial as newly elected officials are expected to make up the grassroots backbone of national political parties for the 2010 presidential elections.

Village and youth representatives often help national politicians get voters and maintain influence in their areas.

Hours before polling precincts opened on Monday morning, separate cases of violence were reported across the country.

In the northern province of Nueva Ecija, six classrooms in a school in Pantabangan town that would be used as polling centres were torched before dawn.

No one was injured in the attack, which delayed the conduct of the polls in the area, local officials said.

In the southern province of Basilan, an incumbent village chieftain was wounded when an assailant shot him inside a school as he prepared to vote in Akbar town.

Two village chieftains seeking re-election were unhurt in attempts to kill them in Batangas province, just outside Manila, and the southern province of Davao del Norte.

Police have arrested 325 people for violating the gun restrictions.

Elections have traditionally been marred by violence in the Philippines, despite the additional gun restrictions imposed during the campaign and polling periods.