Comelec to hold special polls on May 22

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has scheduled for Saturday special elections in one town and 39 barangays in Kalinga, Nueva Vizcaya, Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte after elections there were postponed for various reasons.

In a resolution dated May 16, the Comelec also ordered, if necessary, the printing of new ballots and the deployment of military men in the areas.

Special elections were ordered in four barangays in Kalinga after ballot boxes and other election materials intended for them were hijacked by heavily armed men prior to the polls.

In Nueva Vizcaya, one barangay also failed to vote after unidentified men stole its ballot boxes and election materials.

In Lanao del Sur, the entire municipality of Kapatagan failed to vote after controversy broke out over the local election officer’s relation to the incumbent town mayor seeking reelection, while "precincts failed to function" in 11 other barangays in the province.

In Lanao del Norte 22 polling precincts also "failed to function."

The Comelec resolution did not explain what the expression "precincts failed to function" meant.

In another resolution, the Comelec approved the transfer of the canvassing in Tawi-Tawi to the Comelec head office in Manila after a lawyer for the administration candidate alleged various election anomalies.

Lawyer Martin Meñez said irregularities like an ill-timed power outage, lack of transparency during counting and failure of elections in some areas put the credibility of the canvassing in the province in doubt. The lawyer said the transfer could also defuse the tension in the area.

All the Comelec commissioners approved the resolution except Commissioner Mehol Sadain who said that the concurrence of all the affected parties should first be secured.