Comelec suspends May 2018 village polls in Marawi City

Comelec would conduct an assessment of the situation in Marawi City (PNA PHOTO)

MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday suspended the holding of the May 14 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) in Marawi City.

“The Commission en Banc today (Wednesday) resolved to suspend the conduct of the BSKE2018 only in Marawi City,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said.

The poll body ordered the suspension of the forthcoming polls due to the “prevailing conditions in that city.”

“Two things kaya hindi itutuloy ang elections doon. (There are two things why the elections there will be suspended.) Number 1, walang(there are no) facilities na available. Bombed out ang karamihan ng mga schools. And number 2, ang mga tao hindi pa kumpleto ang kanilang pagbabalik sa Marawi (Majority of the schools are bombed out. And number 2, the return of the people in Marawi City is not yet complete),” he said in an interview Wednesday.

“The BSKE2018 in the rest of Mindanao will push thru as scheduled, with the exception of Marawi City owing to the prevailing conditions in that city,” Jimenez added.

With this, the poll body official said that the Comelec would conduct an assessment of the situation in the said city, if they would hold the village and youth polls there or not.

“After three months, the Commission will reassess the suspension of the BSKE2018 in Marawi City, to determine whether to go ahead with the elections at that time,” Jimenez said.

Marawi City is currently undergoing rehabilitation after it was plagued by a five-month battle between government troops and the Maute group which started in May last year.