Some 54 million voters across the Philippines went to the polls on October 28 to elect the chairs and members of barangay councils, the smallest political unit in the Philippines.

There are more than 800,000 candidates vying for positions in 42,028 barangays nationwide.

Apart from official polling stations, a so-called "Voting in the Malls" project was also launched to facilitate voting by senior citizens and those with disabilities.

Nevertheless, voting in South Cotabato province was hampered by severe floods. Polls in Zamboanga City and Bohol province were also postponed to November 25 due to the standoff between government forces and anti-government Moro National Liberation Front, and the damages caused by a strong earthquake which killed at least 215 people so far.

Police and the armed forces were put on high alert on the voting day, as a number of politicians and candidates had been killed during the lead up to the elections.

At least 22 people have been killed and 27 others wounded in election-related violence during the past month ahead of the barangay polls, national police spokesman Reuben Theodore Sindac said.-VNA