At least 94 villages fail to hold polls

MANILA, Philippines – Elections in at least 94 villages nationwide failed to take place on Monday because of various reasons, the Commission on Elections said.

Teopisto Elnas, Director for Election and Barangay (village) Affairs said that 66 villages in Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao did not have their elections on Monday.

He said in Lanao del Sur, there were 51 villages that did not hold elections. The school teachers reportedly refused to show up because of security reasons. It was rescheduled for Tuesday.

Other areas that did not have elections were Maguindanao with three villages, Basilan with six villages and Tawi-Tawi with two villages.

The schedule of the elections would first be assessed, Elnas said.

He is not ruling out the possibility that there could be other areas that did not conduct elections as there were municipalities they have yet to contact.

But even so, the Comelec refused to declare failure of elections.

There were also 28 other non-ARMM villages that did not hold elections, he added.

Earlier, 12 villages in Calayan Island in Cagayan also did not conduct elections due to the delay of delivery of election materials. It will be reset for October 30 and 31.

In Pikit town in North Cotabato, 12 of 49 villages did not hold their elections.

The elections will be reset at a later date.

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