CEBU CITY, Philippines — The polling precincts in Cebu promptly opened at 6 a.m. with several candidates opting to be the first to cast their votes. Then as the day progressed, more voters trooped to the voting centers and lines and lines of people have to patiently endure the heat as they wait for their turn to cast their votes.
There were a few hitches on the way, with some problems on the voting machines with some of them being replaced by the Commission on Election.
According to Chaunsey Boholst, Cebu City North District election officer, the implementation of the voters registration validation machine was a failure and this process had to be studied further.
Read more: Comelec: Broken machines should not disrupt election; VRVM fails
There were people caught vote buying and even threat of violence in one of the Cebu City voting centers.
The voting centers closed at 6 p.m. with some extending the voting to accommodate those inside the voting center premises at that time.
Then the counting starts as the election results started pouring in at the designated canvassing areas.
Read more: IN NUMBERS: 82% of Cebu City’s registered voters take stand
According to the Regional Election Monitoring Action Center, the voter turnout for Cebu as of 7 p.m. at 59 percent or 1,140,355 registered voters. For Mandaue City, there were 210,265 Mandauehanons who cast their votes while in Cebu City, 581,879 voters cast their votes in this election.
Here is the first batch of photos of the May 13 elections in Cebu:
At past 1 a.m. of May 13, police officers of San Fernando town in southern Cebu are briefed and readied for their deployment to the different voting centers of the town. | Rosalie O. Abatayo
In San Fernando town, reelectionist Mayor Lakambini “Neneth” Reluya is among the first candidates to cast her vote. In fact, she was the first voter in precinct 90A in Panadtaran Elementary School to cast her vote in her precinct. | Rosalie O. Abatayo
In Cebu City, the voter’s assistance tables at the Abellana National School are already being manned and ready to help voters find their precincts at past 6 a.m. | Benjie Talisic
At the Cebu City Central School, voters troop to the voting centers early to cast their votes and avoid the crowd later in the day. | Benjie Talisic
In San Nicolas Proper Elementary School, voters gather at the voter’s assistance table for guidance on their precinct numbers and what they will go to vote. | Benjie Tallisic
Senior Citizens and persons with disability are given priority to vote as shown in this precinct in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City. | Delta Letigio
In Barangay Busay, at 7:40 a.m., the lines of the voters have already reached about 20 meters away from the Busay school. | Contributed photo
A man carries an elderly relative on his back as he brings him to the Abellana National School to cast his vote. | Zena V. Magto
In Lapu-Lapu City, Mayor Paz Radaza, who is running for congressman, and her husband, Arturo Radaza, who is running for mayor, cast their votes at past 11 a.m. at the Mactan Elementary School. | Futch Anthony Inso
Reelectionist Mayor Gabriel Luis Quisumbing casts his vote in Bakilid Elementary School. | Contributed photo
Vice Mayor Edgar Labella waits for his turn to vote at the Mabolo Elementary School at past 8 a.m. on May 13. |Delta Letigio
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