Special polls to be conducted in 5 areas—Comelec

Voters take their time in finding their precinct and voters numbers at President Corazon Aquino Elementary School. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Andres Bautista said on Wednesday that special elections will be conducted in five areas where polls were not conducted.

Bautista told reporters that about 15,000 to 18,000 voters were affected by failure of elections in said areas.

The Comelec chief has not yet disclosed the list of the five areas concerned.

“We have certain areas where elections were not conducted. There are five areas that constitute 15 to 18,000 votes.”

“Yesterday, we had a meeting. We will have special elections in these areas,” Bautista said.

He said that threats of violence, cases where the board of election inspectors failed to show up, and exchanging of ballots from two different precincts forced the failure of elections in the said areas.

Asked on when special polls will be conducted, Bautista said “as soon as possible.”

In a separate interview, Comelec commissioner Rowena Guanzon said that failure of elections might be declared in Binidayan, Lanao del Sur as election officers failed to show up.

“[Sa] Binidayan, Lanao del Sur hindi po talaga sila nakaboto so malamang failure of election na yun. Kailangan ma-hearing ng en banc para makapag-receive ng ebidensya kung bakit hindi nakapagboto mga tao doon. At magse-set ng special elections doon kung kakailanganin,” Guanzon said.

(In Binidayan, Lanao del Sur, they weren’t able to vote so it’s likely a failure of election. The en banc has to have a hearing in order to receive evidence on why the people there were unable to vote. Special elections would be set up there if necessary.)

READ: Lanao del Sur, Sarangani residents report VCM errors

She also said that ballots in Borongan City in Eastern Samar and Hinigaran in Negros Occidental were mixed up.
 CDG

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