NATIONAL CANVASS About an hour before the polls closed on Monday, the Commission on Elections convened at the Philippine International Convention Center to serve as the national board of canvassers for the midterm elections. INQUIRER file photo / RICHARDA. REYES
MANILA, Philippines — Familiar names dominated the mayoral posts in areas placed under the control of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) during the polls on Monday.
The Comelec earlier placed under its control the municipality of Daraga in Albay, Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental, and Cotabato City.
Under the law, the Comelec can place under its control any area that has a history or prevailing intense political rivalry that could lead to election-related violence.
This means that the commission is given full supervision of law enforcement agencies deployed and even political units in the said areas.
Daraga, Albay
As of 10:15 a.m. on Tuesday, Vice Mayor Victor Perete of Daraga, Albay, leads the mayoralty race with 20,769 votes, data from the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting-Inquirer Transparency Server showed.
The total votes for Perete are higher than those for Gertrudes Batocabe who garnered 16,578 votes, and incumbent Mayor Carlwyn Baldo with 13,974 votes.
Politics in Daraga turned controversial after police tagged Baldo as the alleged brains behind the murder of Ako Bicol Rep. Rodel Batocabe, Gertrudes’ husband, who was then running against Baldo as mayor.
After the congressman’s death, Gertrudes took over her husband’s bid in the mayoralty race in the municipality.
Baldo is now detained at the Legazpi City Jail after he earlier surrendered for double murder and six counts of attempted murder charges filed against him.
Jungie Jaucian, candidate of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan along with Perete, is also leading the vice mayoral post with 23,583 votes.
Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental
Meanwhile, Moises Padilla Vice Mayor Ella Garcia-Yulo garnered a landslide victory based on Comelec results, which showed she got 65 percent of the total votes or 13,056, relatively higher than the 5,493 votes for his opponent incumbent Mayor Magdaleno Peña.
Garcia-Yulo’s running mate Ian Villaflor also won the vice mayoral race with 13,612 votes. His rival Tony Suatengco only had 3,714 votes.
READ: Garcia-Yulo wins Moises Padilla mayoralty race
On April 25, or less than three weeks before the elections, Garcia-Yulo’s brother Mark Garcia and nephew Councilor Michael Garcia were killed in an ambush while on a campaign trail in Barangay Inolingan.
Garcia-Yulo earlier accused Peña as the one behind the attack, but Peña denied involvement in the ambush.
READ: Negros Occidental town councilor, uncle ambushed on campaign trail
READ: Moises Padilla town in Negros Occidental placed under Comelec control
Cotabato City
In Cotabato City, leading the mayoralty race is incumbent Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi with 31,779 votes, higher than her opponents Maguindanao 1st District and Cotabato City Rep. Bai Sandra Sema with 19,749 votes and independent candidate Delson James Uytaranco with 92 votes.
Incumbent Vice Mayor Graham Nazer Dumama also prevailed in his reelection bid with 30,636 votes against his opponent Abdulla Andang with 18,339 votes.
The Comelec placed Cotabato City under its control after the deadly bombing in front of a mall that killed two victims and wounded several others as people were preparing to celebrate the New Year’s Eve. (Editor: Jonathan P. Vicente)
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