At least 43 public school teachers face dismissal for causing the failure of elections by boycotting election duties in Masiu town on May 10.

This was gathered as a petition for the declaration of failure of elections has also been filed in Taraka town following reports of massive election fraud allegedly involving relieved election officer, Mandangayar Sumagayan.

Kennedy Basmala, mayoralty candidate in Taraka, accused Sumagayon, uncle of his opponent Mayor Aminudin Sumagayan, of cancelling transmitting results from the municipality to the provincial board of canvassers in Marawi City.

A petition for the annulment of results and the conduct of special elections in Taraka has been filed by Kennedy Bazmala as a result of massive election fraud in the municipality.

Masiu mayoralty candidate Aminullah D. Arimao said he expects the Commission on Elections to likewise impose punitive action against public school division superintendent Normillah Pangandaman, close relative of former agrarian reform secretary Nasser Pangdaman, who allegedly directed the teachers to “stay away” from the polling precincts.

Former labor relations Commissioner Salic Dumarpa, a Nacionalista Party congressional bet who is leading the latest election count, accused a rival bet of being behind the attempts “to subvert the will” of the people.

Dumarpa said his rival resorted to “dirty tricks” when poll surveys and other pre-election studies indicated that his group will win the elections in Masiu and Taraka.

He said Sumagayan, who was relieved of election duties in Taraka because of his relationship to the reelectionist mayor, was behind the election irregularities committed in the town, including the pre-shading of ballots by persons identified with the local executive.

Despite his relief Sumagayan still called the shots during the elections, allegedly violating many election regulations.

According to Dumarpa it was the sacked election officer who ordered the non-transmission of election results from Taraka to Marawi City.

Except for Moki-in Alim and Inombae Alim, all public school teachers assigned to compose the board of election inspectors did not collect election paraphernalia for the 21 polling centers in the municipality.

He said this action was deliberate and had been imposed on the teachers by Pangandaman.

“The commission of election offenses by those public school teachers manifested their lack of good moral character and irreproachable reputation and clear case of their partiality in favor of the candidate favored by their superiors,” the mayoralty bet said in a petition for exclusion of election officer Abdulahalim Guro and the involved teachers in the special elections to be conducted.