MARAWI City ― The Commission on Elections has recommended a failure of elections to be declared in 15 barangays in Lanao del Sur after a spate of violence prevented voters from casting their ballots yesterday.
Commission on Elections Lanao del Sur Election Officer II Abdul Noor said they have recommended to the Comelec en banc to declare a failure of elections in 14 barangays of Tubaran town and one barangay in Butig town.
Brigadier Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo, commander of the Army 103rd Infantry Brigade, said voters were unable to cast their ballots in barangays Datumanong, the Tangcal cluster, Giarong, Wago, Baguiangun,Malaganding, Tubaran cluster, Buribid cluster, Rantaran, Gadongan, Pagalamatan, Mindamudag, Paigoay Cluster, Paigoay-Pimbataan, and Barangay Metadicop.
Cuerpo said a failure of the election also occurred in Barangay Ragadang in Butig town.
He said the failure of elections started when supporters of mayoralty candidate Yaz Papandayan blocked the entrance of a polling center to prevent the entry of teachers and ballots.
Cuerpo said the standoff started at 6 am Monday and was still ongoing at 7 pm Monday night.
The death toll of yesterday’s electoral violence rose to six after two more suspects in the destruction of the Voters Counting Machine (VCM) died in the Unayan District in Binidayan town.
Cuerpo said the suspects earlier destroyed the VCMs in Barangay Magonaya Elementary School prompting the residents to fight back.