The Philippines is holding local council elections nationwide.

On October 28, approximately 54 million Filipino voters in 42,000 villages across the country cast their ballots to elect village council leaders and members.

It is estimated that approximately 94,124 candidates nationwide are competing for 42,028 chairman positions, and about 715,012 candidates are competing for 29,196 village council member seats. In addition to the main polling stations, the election committee also organizes mobile polling stations to facilitate voting for the elderly and the sick.
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The prolonged flooding in South Cotabato province over the past few days has hampered local elections. Meanwhile, elections in the port city of Zamboanga have been postponed until November 25 due to conflict between government forces and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels. Voting in Bohol province has also been postponed following the earthquake two weeks ago that killed 215 people.

Earlier, the Philippine government had urged citizens to participate in the voting process to raise awareness of each citizen's responsibility to the country. The election was scheduled to end at 3:00 PM on the same day, but the ban on alcohol consumption, which took effect on the evening of October 27th, will remain in effect until the night of October 28th to ensure public order and security.

On October 28, Philippine police and military forces were placed on high alert amid a series of killings of politicians and candidates ahead of the upcoming elections. According to a national police spokesperson, 22 people have been killed and 27 injured in election-related violence over the past month. In 2009, an election-related massacre in Maguindanao province, southern Philippines, killed 27 politicians and 31 journalists.

According to VNA (Vietnam News Agency)