Julia Christine Botin

Cops to serve as electoral board in Maguindanao del Norte town

Article (news)

Bianca Dava

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Policemen will now serve as the Special Electoral Board (SEB) of Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte after the start of voting in the town was delayed early Monday, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.</p><p>Gunshots rang out and tensions sparked between rival supporters in the town, shortly past 10 a.m, stalling the start of voting. The incident happened near the municipal hall compound, where supporters of one candidate had been barricading for hours.</p><div><br/></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1921785604808810779&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-05-12T05%3A34%3A32.284514%3A6920f588-4b25-487a-85d8-1d1598e57848%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=739fdde27b89577fd1c803b5ecb894dd4b8f6c06&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:769px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="1921785604808810779"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>Some 300 electoral board members have been deployed to over 104 polling centers in the town, Lt. Col. Joey Ventura, spokesperson of the Bangsamoro region police, said in a press briefing.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/5/12/voters-swarm-datu-odin-sinsuat-municipal-hall-delay-start-of-voting-1148"><strong>READ: Voters swarm Datu Odin Sinsuat municipal hall, delay start of voting<br/></strong></a></div><p>Delivery of election materials remains ongoing as of writing.</p><p>Datu Odin Sinsuat has been placed under control of the Commission on Elections after an election officer was ambushed in April.</p><p>Overall, 3,698 cops were trained to serve as SEB in the entire Bangsamoro region.</p><p>Meanwhile, the PNP has also recorded shooting incidents on election day.</p><p>At least two people died while five sustained injuries in a shooting incident in Barangay Mambulac, Silay City, Negros Occidental, police said. Authorities have launched a pursuit operation against the suspects.</p><p>In Dinas, Zamboanga del Sur, at least one person was injured after being harassed by supporters of rivaling politicians in the province.</p><p>A 65-year-old man collapsed and died after voting at a school in Oas, Albay early Monday, police confirmed.</p><p>Despite these incidents, the PNP said the midterm election remains &quot;generally peaceful.&quot; <strong>With a report from Lerio Bompat</strong></p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/12/ppcrv-gets-reports-of-poll-violence-automated-counting-machine-issues-0902"><strong>READ: PPCRV gets reports of poll violence, automated counting machine issues</strong></a></div>

<p>Policemen will now serve as the Special Electoral Board of Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte after the start of voting in the town was delayed early Monday, the Philippine National Police said.</p>

Policemen will now serve as the Special Electoral Board of Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte after the start of voting in the town was delayed early Monday, the Philippine National Police said.