ILOILO CITY, May 10 (IslamOnline.net) - With the death of at least 21 Filipinos on Monday’s Election Day, seven of whom came from Mindanao, the death toll brought about by the Philippine general elections has gone up to 114.

The Philippine National Police has recorded a total of 79 Filipinos killed during the last three months of campaigning for the country’s general elections.

With the death of another 21 people on Election Day on Monday, May 10, it outnumbers the 2001 polls’ death toll of 111.

In the Muslim-populated island of Mindanao, seven persons were reportedly killed and eight other injured in Zamboanga del Norte province in an encounter between two warring factions of local politicians.

This brings to a total of 67 the number of Filipinos killed and 173 others injured in 59 election-related incidents throughout Mindanao.

On Sunday, May 9, Lt. Col. Renoir Pascua, the military’s Southern Command information chief, said the 58 incidents that involved firefights and ambuscades took place in the whole of Mindanao since the start of campaign three months ago.

Throughout the country, 30 candidates were killed and 14 injured. In the 2001 elections, 21 candidates were killed and 9 others injured.

Violence, along with cheating and vote-buying, has become a peculiar and perennial feature of the elections in the Philippines, a young democracy in Southeast Asia.

Other unlawful acts perennially resorted to by candidates include snatching of ballots, harassment of voters, intimidation by armed gangs, substitution of ballots, bribing of canvassers, and many more.

Some 43.5 million registered voters, almost 10 million of whom are from Mindanao, were expected to troop to polling centers in the Philippines on Monday to vote for the country’s president, vice president and 12 senators, 212 Congressmen and over 17,000 local posts.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police around the country have been placed on “red alert” status as Filipinos troop to their poling centers.

The same alert status would remain in place until canvassing of votes, expected to last for several days, comes to an end.

The Commission on Elections said Monday that the elections have proceeded smoothly despite a number of election-related violent incidents. All polling precincts in the country closed at 3 p.m. Monday.

It, however, declared failures of election in various towns in the country including four towns in Lanao del Sur province.