MANILA -- The Supreme Court (SC) stopped the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from enforcing its rulings on the composition of precincts in Sulu province, the tribunal said Tuesday, April 2.

In its summer en banc session in Baguio City, the SC said it issued a status quo ante order enjoining the poll body from enforcing and implementing several resolutions it had recently issued involving the clustering, declustering, transfer, alteration, and establishment of several precincts in the province of Sulu.

The order was issued in two petitions filed by Almedzar A. Hajiri and Abdusakur M. Tan and Nurhaipa S. Berto against Comelec before the High Court, challenging the validity of resolutions in 11 election matters cases decided by the Comelec between March 20 and March 22 of this year.

Up to 16 clustered precincts in Sulu were among the areas where the Comelec declared a failure of elections in 2016 due to security concerns. (PNA)