The National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) lauded Thursday the efforts of all those who made the May 10, 2010 elections a satisfactory one, particularly the teachers who served as Boards of Election Inspectors (BEIs) and the voters who patiently waited for hours in line to cast their votes.

“By their patience and exuberance in a new process, and by the doggedness and resourcefulness of the teachers and the commitment of the Comelec to make it work, elections did work,” the Namfrel said in a statement.

“The most dramatic improvement in the elections was in the counting and tabulating of votes, which occurred at unprecedented speeds for Philippine elections. Early tabulations were available within hours of the polls’ closing and significant numbers were reported by midnight of election day,” Namfrel said.

“The second most dramatic change in the political scene came perhaps in the change of behavior of losing candidates. In this election, losing presidential candidates quickly conceded their loss within 48 hours of elections, thereby reducing political tension and contributing to the public acceptance of results.”

However, Namfrel also voiced out its concerns for some problems encountered during this year’s elections, particularly various incidents of election-related violence, vote-buying, flying voters, and underage voting which were prevalent in areas such as the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

“We had earlier recommended that elections be held separately and in advance in ARMM using the AES (automated election system). This would have served as both a pilot test of the system as well as a means of minimizing any other election-related risks as all Comelec resources and attention could have been brought to bear on the region,” it said.