THE PNP yesterday said it recorded a total of 105 validated election-related incidents (ERIs) during the 94-day poll period in relation to the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections Elections (BSKE) that ended last Wednesday.
The validated ERIs in this year’s BSKE was 65 cases or 162.5 percent higher compared to the 40 validated ERIs recorded in the BSKE in 2018 and 48 cases or 84.21 percent more than the 57 validated ERIs recorded in the 2013 BSKE, the PNP said.
In a press briefing at Camp Crame, PNP spokeswoman and PNP Public Information Office chief Col. Jean Fajardo said 29 died and 100 were injured during ERIs this year.
“While the BSKE 2023 was more intense compared to the BSKE 2018 in terms of the number of recorded incidents, our overall assessment is it was generally peaceful,” said Fajardo.
Fajardo noted that there was no declaration failure of election in any area throughout the country.
“There are lessons to learn, there are best practices that can be adopted in future elections but generally the election was generally peaceful, from August 28 up to the end of the election period yesterday,” said Fajardo.
Fajardo said a total of 331 ERIs were initially reported to the PNP during the entire election period.
But she said only 105 were validated to be related to the elections while 221 were not related to the elections. The five others are considered as suspected ERIs since they are still subject to the validation process.
Fajardo said 57 of the validated ERIs occurred in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, 15 in Northern Mindanao and six each in Ilocos and Eastern Visayas.
The rest of the incidents were recorded in Cordillera Administrative Region (five), Bicol (four), Central Visayas (three), Calabarzon (two), Western Visayas (two), Zamboanga Peninsula (two), Metro Manila (one), Mimaropa (one), and Soccsksargen (one).
Fajardo said the validated ERIs included 38 shooting incidents, 15 mauling incidents, five harassments, and three indiscriminate firing.
Forty-seven cases have been referred to prosecutors, 40 are still subject to continuing police investigation, five have been filed in court, and five were amicably settled, Fajardo said.
