Although, Lawyer Vidzfar Julie, ARMM election Assistant Regional director, provincial Election Officer, said low voter turnout is normal in special polls but the one last Saturday was aggravated by the tsunami scare.
However, a military official said the number of voters who were able to cast their votes last Saturday could probably be the "actual and real" number of qualified voting population of the village. He refused to elaborate.
The Special Election was done manually, Julie said.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised the tsunami alert level in coastal towns around the country last Friday following the devastating earthquake that hit Japan on the same day.
Thousands are feared dead in Japan as a result of the tsunami there that was triggered by the quake. Many others are yet still being accounted for as of press time.
Aside from the tsunami scare, Julie said many students and workers in Barangay Bunut were the special elections were being held were not able to vote because they were studying and working in towns not covered by the polls.
Travel by sea was ordered suspended on the eve of elections (March 11), throughout the country by the Philippine Coast Guard after Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvocs) issued travel advisory warning against commercial vessels and other sea crafts from leaving their ports.
Hundreds of passengers were stranded and were not able to leave Friday night to their respective destinations due to the advisory.
Out of 956 registered voters in three clustered precincts only 372 voted. After the canvassed, Vice mayor bet Vladimir Nahudan , was proclaimed winner with a total of 378 votes against his closest rival Julhatab Talib who garnered only 209 votes.
During the May 11, 2010 synchronized national and local elections in this town, Nahudan already had a lead of 219 votes prior to the poll body's declaration of a "failure of elections" in those precincts.
The Special Election in these contested precincts in this town was ordered by the Commission on Elections 9 months after deputizing members of the PNP to serve as members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI).
Julie said that the special election was held last Saturday at Lampaki Elementary School where five precincts which were clustered into three failed to function due to election violence occurred during the last May 11, 2010 national and local elections.
" Nagkaroon ng suntukan at nabuhusan ng tubig and PCOS Machine kaya nag failure of elections,"an Election Officer said.
He added that that the Commission on Election (Comelec) had declared failures of elections only in this area where over 900 registered voters were disenfranchised.
Julie noted that the special elections was conducted affecting only the vice mayor and the slot for the number eight municipal councilor of this town. He said security plans was already set since February 4, 2011.
Municipal election Officer,Malik Asgali, who served as themunicipal board of canvassers proclaimed Vladimir Nahudan officially winner vice mayor with a total votes of 9,918 against Julhatab Talib who got only 9,779 votes.
The special poll was conducted peaceful and orderly as the police and military were in full force maximizing 2,000 personnel and resources to include armored personnel carriers and trucks were deployed to secure venue. Earlier, there were reports received by the intelligence community here that some elements planning to sabotage and would mar the polls with fraud and violence.
Barangay Bunot,Indanan,Sulu is about more than 18 kilometrs away from the capital town of Jolo. This is one of the 19 towns of the island province of Sulu.
Senior Superintendent Antonio Freyra, Sulu police provincial director , said the elections were "very peaceful" as no election-related violence was reported. He said security plans was already set since February 4, 2011.
In a separate interview, Police Senior Superintendent Willy Dagane ,Chief for Intelligence in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, who was in Sulu to represent ARMM Regional Police Office Chief, Police Chief Supt. Katag. said that security were deployed in the area as early as 5:00 in the morning.
He assured the voters of their security through the establishment of joint road security stationed in the whole stretch of the Jolo- Indanan high way and at the precincts during the voting.
Election watchdogs like the CARe and members of the media were sent to monitor the fair conduct of the elections, which had served as deterrent force in preempting plans by certain sectors out to terrorize the voters and deny their rights of suffrage.
Meanwhile, Col Remegio C. Valdez, Commander of 3rd Marine Brigade said that their participation is only for security of the voters, Comelec personnel.
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