By MARK JOSEPH UBALDE
THE Commission on Elections has been asked to declare failure of elections in several towns in Visayas and Mindanao following reported incidents poll violence and ballot switching.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the commissioners will decide later whether to reschedule elections in some towns in Iloilo, Samar, Lanao del Sur and Basilan.
Meanwhile, the Comelec has rejected recommendations to further extend the voting period. Earlier in the day, the Comelec en banc decided to end voting at 7 p.m. instead of 6 p.m.
Jimenez said there was no reason to extend beyond 7 p.m. since all voters in the vicinity of the polling precinct by the time the polls are scheduled to close will still be entertained. “Extending the closing time also only gives people an excuse to come in late,” he said.
Areas where failure of elections is delcared will have to conduct special polls once the conflict has been settled. Jimenez said the process usually takes from two to 30 days.
“If the areas are large enough to affect the national results, the special elections will be scheduled immediately,” Jimenez said. But he said the canvassing of the votes will not be affected as a whole as of now.
Comelec received reports that in Albarka and Sumisip towns in Basilan, hostilities have halted the conduct of elections.
Several men reportedly harassed a precinct in Sumisip that was ultimately suppressed by responding Marines. One Filipino soldier, however, died in the incident.
Total failure of elections was recommended for the town of Lumbaca-Unayan in Lanao del Sur after the Boards of Elections Inspectors have not arrived in the area. Other towns in the province, including Masiu, Lumba Bayabao, Tuburan, Marogong, Bayang and Sultan Dumalundong have not conducting elections as well.
Ballots from Guimbal in Iloilo were also reportedly switched with those in Samar, forcing elections to be called off.
Jimenez said poll-related violence for the 2010 elections seem to be worse than what the Comelec has seen in the 2004 presidential and 2007 midterm polls.
“There’s more violence now than in previous elections,” he said. “It’s worse because we are now seeing open hostilities.”
Jimenez said hostilities might be high this time since “politicians now know they cannot cheat anymore.”
“But that may be an unfair assessment,” he quickly said.