Manila, April 3 -- Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao del Norte will be placed under the control of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the May 12 midterm elections after the killing of its election officer and her husband.

According to Comelec Chairperson George Garcia, the seven-man Comelec en banc unanimously approved the placing of Datu Odin Sinsuat under the poll body's direct control during a meeting on Wednesday.

"Yesterday, the Commission en banc was unanimous in its decision... At this point, the focus is with Datu Odin Sinsuat," he said in an interview on Thursday.

Garcia said the order is not yet in effect as the resolution has yet to be finalized.

"We want to provide the specific actions of the Comelec in a Comelec-con...