Nineteen towns represent about five per cent of the towns in Mindanao. Mindanao has 27 provinces, 27 cities and 422 towns.
As of 4 p.m. today, 14 of the towns where failure of elections was declared were in Lanao del Sur, four in Basilan, and one in Lanao del Norte. But MindaNews reporter Froilan Gallardo who is covering Lanao del Sur said failure of elections was declared only in 11 towns.
There was no failure of elections reported in Caraga, Southeastern Mindanao, Western Mindanao, and Southwestern Mindanao.
Under Section 6, Article 1 of the Omnibus Election Code a failure of election can be declared if, by reason of “force majeure, violence, terrorism, fraud, or other analogous causes,” the election does not take place or is suspended before the closing of the voting, “or after the voting and during the preparation and the transmission of the election returns or in the custody or canvass thereof, such election results in a failure to elect, and in any of such cases the failure or suspension of election would affect the result of the election.”
Kalinaw Mindanaw also reported failure of elections in five barangays in Maigo town in Lanao del Norte.
Kalinaw Mindanao based its reports from the regional offices of the Comelec and the Office of the Civil Defense.
Citing a report from the Comelec in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), failure of elections was declared in Sultan Dumalundong, Binidayan, Pualas, Madalum, Bayang, Lumba Bayabao, Masiu, Kapai, Lumbayanague, Lumbatan.
Kalinaw Mindanaw also cited a report from the Office of Civil Defense, that failure of election was declared in Butig, Kapatagan, Marugong and Tuburan
In Basilan, failure of elections as declared in Akbar, Caddayan, Paguengan and Upper Sinangapan.
In Lanao del Norte, the OCD reported failure of election in Pantar and barangays Mitiring, Labuay, Balagatasa, Claro M. Recto and Imuma in Maigo town. (Walter I. Balane/MindaNews)