The national police chief declared yesterday's midterm elections "relatively peaceful" even though eight more people were killed in violence that has become the hallmark of the Philippines' volatile political process.
There were scattered reports of vote-buying and other cheating incidents, with balloting postponed in several districts, particularly in the south.
"It was a picture of chaos," said Joe Dizon, a Roman Catholic priest from the election watchdog Kontra Daya, or "against cheating."
PHOTO: EPA
"There was confusion in many areas. The elections have not improved," he said.
The fatalities took the death toll to 121 since campaigning for the midterm elections began four months ago. By comparison, the 2004 election left 189 dead.
But warnings that communist rebels might try to disrupt the balloting with a rash of attacks proved to be unfounded with security forces on their highest alert level.
"We have noted a relatively peaceful situation nationwide, and I am confident that this will be the ultimate outcome until after the entire election process is completed," national police Director General Oscar Calderon said.
Calderon said there were some pockets of violence, but claimed they weren't bad enough to dampen the spirits of the electorate.
"There are intense fights in all campaigns, but let us be gracious, win or lose," President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said in a statement.
The Supreme Court designated 111 regional tribunals to handle allegations of fraud.
Filipinos were electing 12 out of 24 senators, all 236 House of Representatives members and nearly 17,500 governors, mayors and other local officials.
Election officials projected turnout at 75 percent of the 45 million registered voters as people took advantage of the day off, sunny skies and tight security. Counting is done by hand, so official results are weeks away, but opinion polls showed the opposition certain to hold onto control of the Senate.
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