President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo voted today in her father’s hometown of Lubao, Pampanga, arriving from Manila in a white Malacanang coaster at 10 minutes before 8 a.m. to line up and cast her vote.

The President was preceded by her eldest son, Pampanga 1^st Disrtict Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo, who arrived five minutes earlier at 7:45 a.m. in a silent convoy of black cars.

Between Congressman Arroyo and the Chief Executive were six other voters, with voter Ramon Calalung lining up ahead of the President. The President would later smilingly tap Calalung on the shoulder to "appease" him after media people urged him on so that they could get a good solo shot of the country’s foremost citizen casting her vote.

Mother and son are voters number 83 and nine, respectively, under Precinct 1 (0001A/0001B) of San Nicolas 1^st, Lubao, Pampanga.

The President is listed as "Macapagal Arroyo, Gloria Macaraeg," with address at De Guzman St., Purok 2, San Nicolas (1^st) of Lubao (Poblacion), Pampanga.

Three other Macapagal relatives are listed after the President’s name, including Diosdado Macaraeg Macapagal Jr.

Precinct 1 -- which has 196 voters on the list -- is stationed in a classroom of the Paaralang Elementarya ng Lubao, Hilagang Distrito ng Lubao. The classroom, with a simple comfort room inside, is normally occupied by Grade III-A students under Mrs. Emily Calalang.

The President -- pretty and all smiles in maroon pantsuit and matching maroon pumps and maroon reading glasses -- was met and escorted by Dr. Liwayway Mendoza, Lubao East District schools supervisor, and by school principal Felicidad Santos.

Lining up like any ordinary voter, the President finally had her turn at 8:05 a.m., some 15 minutes after her arrival.

She then chose a private corner on the last and fourth row, beside the classroom comfort room, to fill up her ballot -- away from the prying lenses of the video and still cameras.

But the President was seen leafing through the list of candidates page by page, and then writing her choices.

By 8:12 a.m., she folded her ballot and stood up to cast her vote. By 8:15 a.m., with the voting and photo opportunity over, the President dropped her ballot, gamely heeding the media’s advice to stay behind the ballot box.

The President was the 35^th voter out of the 196 voters of Precinct 1, where she also voted in the May 2004 presidential polls.

First to vote in the same precinct was Voter #4 -- Ma. Luisa Ibanes Allado, 39-- of #196 Purok 3, San Nicolas, Lubao, Pampanga.

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Sa araw na ito ay nagkaisa ang sambayanang Pilipino sa likod ng demokrasya. Ipinagmamalaki natin ang ating kasaysayan bilang malayang bansa.

Pinupuri natin ang mga botanteng nagtungo sa mga presinto upang bumoto nang walang pamimilit at ayon sa kanilang kalooban.Sangandaan din ang araw na ito para sa Pilipinas habang hinihintay natin ang paghirang ng mga nagwagi. Nagpapasalamat ako sa lahat ng kandidato, anuman ang partido o pagkiling sa pulitika, na nakibaka nang buong sigasig, patas at tapat para sa boto ng taong bayan.

May matitinding pagtutunggali sa lahat ng kampanya, subalit magmagandang-loob tayo, manalo man o matalo. Para sa kapakanan ng bansa,dapat isara ang mga kabanata ng hidwaan at pagtutungali paglabas ng hatol ng bayan, at buksan ang pinto ng pambansang pagkakaisa at pagkakapit-bisig.

Ibig kong purihin ang Commission on Elections (COMELEC) at ang mga ahensiyang itinalaga nito para sa mahusay nilang pagbabantay sa halalan. Itinatangi ko lalo na ang kabayanihan at katapatan ng ating mga guro na bantog sa panahong ito; at ang mga pulis at sundalo sa pagdepensa ng kapayapaan at kaayusan nang walang pagkiling.

All the institutions that helped the people safeguard the vote -- religious, civic, professional -- likewise deserve the gratitude of our nation, together with the foreign observers who came to share our passion and vigilance for democracy.

Sa panahong ito na ang maraming lugar sa mundo ay umaapoy pa rin sa pakikibaka para sa kalayaan, let us thank the Lord for giving us the gift of democracy that has found sanctuary in our generations past and present, habang patuloy nating binibilang ang ating mga biyaya sa paglago ng ekonomiya at pagtatag ng pulitika.

Magpatuloy tayo sa landas ng progreso.

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo called on the nation today to end the divisiveness brought about by this year’s electoral exercise and join hands for the good of the country.

In a statement she issued after the formal close of balloting at 3 o’clock this afternoon, the President sought to end the barrage of election-related violence that marked this year’s polls.

"May matitinding pagtutunggali sa lahat ng kampanya, subalit magmagandang-loob tayo, manalo man o matalo. Para sa kapakanan ng bansa, dapat isara ang mga kabanata ng hidwaan sa pagtutunggali paglabas ng hatol ng bayan at buksan ang pinto ng pambansang pagkakaisa at pagkakapit-bisig," she said in the vernacular.

The Philippine National Police (PNP), in its report on the eve of today’s mid-term election, recorded 111 deaths from election-related violent incidents (ERVIs) with 120 more persons injured.

The report showed that due to the PNP’s "preventive measures," the ERVIs this year were slightly lower than in 2004 (189 people killed and 279 others wounded) and in 2001 (132 people were killed while 302 wounded).

In the same statement, the President lauded the voting public who came out to exercise their Constitutional right to suffrage with no expectation of something in return.

"Sa araw na ito ay nagkaisa ang sambayanang Pilipino sa likod ng demokrasya. Ipinagmamalaki natin ang ating kasaysayan bilang malayang bansa. Pinupuri natin ang mga botanteng nagtungo sa mga presinto upang bumoto nang walang pamimilit at ayon sa kanilang kalooban," she said.

The President praised the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the public school teachers, the PNP, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the numerous religious, civic and professional groups who did their job to protect the sanctity of the vote.

"Ibig kong purihin ang Comelec at ang mga ahensiyang itinalaga nito para sa mahusay nilang pagbabantay sa halalan. Itinatangi ko lalo na ang kabayanihan at katapatan ng ating mga guro na bantog sa panahong ito; at ang mga pulis at sundalo sa pag-depensa ng kapayapaan at kaayusan ng walang pagkiling," she said.

"All the institutions that helped the people safeguard the vote – religious, civic, professional – likewise deserve the gratitude of our nation, together with the foreign observers who came to share our passion and vigilance for democracy," she added.

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