PIKIT, North Cotabato, (PNA) — The Commission on Elections here announced that no voting has occurred in 13 villages after the teachers refused to serve for security reasons.
Joel Celis, Pikit election officer, said the teachers did not proceed to their assignments and the voters did not show up “so no election ever happened.”
Soldiers and policemen have been tapped by the Comelec to assist some teachers who prefer to proceed to their assignments.
“When we arrived there at past 12 noon, no voters showed up so we decided to bring the election paraphernalia back to the town hall for safekeeping,” Celis said.
“We did not declare failure of elections since it is only the Commission on Elections en banc can declare failure of election after receiving reports from the ground,” he said.
Celis said he already forwarded his report to Comelec provincial director Lawyer Duque Kadatuan as to what happened and the election supervisor forwarded them to Manila.
Some BETs in 13 villages have already started facilitating voting at Pikit Central Elementary School at 7 a.m. until Celis told them to stop and move to their respective barangay assignments. The teachers refused.
Despite military and police assurance that the 13 villages are secured and that balloting can be held there, the teachers opted not to serve.