The conduct of the Maguindanao plebiscite has been smooth and peaceful, poll watchdog National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) said on Saturday, Sept. 17.
Namfrel, an accredited citizens' arm by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) as a citizens' arm for the plebiscite, deployed more than a hundred volunteers to observe in voting centers in the different municipalities of Maguindanao.
Namfrel's preliminary observations cover the opening procedures as well as the first few hours of voting, including arrangements inside the voting centers.
"Namfrel volunteers reported that in general, the conduct of the plebiscite has been smooth and peaceful, with most polling places opening on time, and with election paraphernalia and members of the different Plebiscite Committees (PlebCom) complete in most polling places observed," it said in a statement.
The volunteers described the plebiscite as smooth, organized, and peaceful, with no untoward incidents observed. The morning's activities are characterized by a very low turnout of voters.
It mentioned, however, that in a voting center in Talitay municipality, the Namfrel team deployed there said that about 80 percent of registered voters had already voted when they arrived.
"The school principal said people voted early because many of the voters there are farmers. A volunteer deployed in a voting center in Talayan municipality was also informed that 80% of registered voters there had already voted," Namfrel reported.
It added that security remains an issue in many parts of Maguindanao.
Meanwhile, most observers noted that in general, the secrecy of the vote was maintained inside polling places.
On the other hand, Namfrel municipal coordinators reported that there were few meetings held in the province to inform people about the plebiscite. They were mostly initiated by barangay officials and community leaders under the direction of the mayors, encouraging people to vote "yes" for the division of the province.
"Provincial officials were reported to be pushing for a YES vote, and there were also tarpaulins placed along major roads encouraging people to do so. The NAMFREL coordinators also noted that there was very little or no information available on the impact of the YES or NO vote," Namfrel said.
It added that it will be submitting a report to Comelec on the findings of the observation, identifying areas that could be further strengthened, and recommending measures to help ensure the conduct of safer and more efficient electoral exercises.