Big turnout of voters

Press, 12 May 1987, Page 10

Big turnout of voters

NZPA-Reuter Manila Millions of Filipinos voted yesterday in an atmosphere of tension and hope in the country’s first free election after 15 years of rule by decree. Voters all over the country swarmed to polling places well before they opened at 7 a.m. to have their say in choosing the new two-house Congress as newspaper headlines proclaimed, “Free polls at last.”

President Corazon Aquino, who will cede many of her powers to the Congress, travelled by helicopter to Hacienda Luisita north

of Manila to vote at her family estate. She called for clean, peaceful and orderly elections as officials reported very heavy voter turnouts.

“It’s my first election, I’m making sure I don’t miss out,” one young man told Reuters after queuing for more than an hour before polls opened. In the tense south, election volunteer Elsa Pumar and her young daughter were injured when a ballot box, boobytrapped with a grenade, exploded as she opened it to check that it was empty before voting began.

There were few reports of violent incidents, and observers , reported enthusiastic voter turnout.

In Zamboanga, the Philippines* heavily Muslim southernmost city, three tanks patrolled main streets and troops in full battle dress guarded polling places, backed by armed members of civilian militias.

Observers said voting was orderly with no sign of threatened disruption by Muslim rebels.

The results of the election may not be known for more than a week.