In Eastern Visayas, at least 63 individuals were arrested from Sunday to early Monday for violating the liquor ban implemented by the Philippine National Police (PNP) for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
According to Philippines News Agency, 58 of the arrests occurred during two drinking events in Ormoc City on Sunday. One person was arrested in Paranas, Samar, and four in Naval, Biliran. The arrested individuals were mostly from Ormoc City and neighboring towns.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has implemented a nationwide liquor ban from October 29 to 30, under Resolution 10924, aiming to maintain the electoral process's integrity. Brig. Gen. Reynaldo Pawid, PNP Eastern Visayas acting regional director, stated that the ban's primary objective is to prevent violence, vote-buying, and undue influence related to alcohol consumption. Violators face one to six years of jail time, without probation, and a permanent ban from public office.
Meanwhile, Comelec reported that the opening of 3,813 voting centers in Eastern Visayas was generally peaceful, despite delays in some areas due to poor signal for updating the status of election paraphernalia. More than 7,000 police officers have been deployed across the region, with at least 2,400 assigned to the first congressional district of Samar and 2,300 to the third district of Leyte.