MANILA, Philippines — The proposed split of Palawan into three provinces has been rejected based on a plebiscite that was conducted last Saturday, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
According to Comelec, official results showed 122,223 voted for “yes” for dividing Palawan into three, while 172,304 voted “no.”
“It is finished. Proclamation done. NO won in Palawan plebiscite,” Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said over Twitter.
The plebiscite for Republic Act No. 11259, which seeks to divide Palawan into three provinces, posted a 60.06 percent voter turnout, according to the poll body.
The Comelec earlier declared the plebiscite—the first electoral process conducted in the country since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic—as a success, saying no reports of violence and disruptions were made during the voting process.
Palawan Governor Jose Alvarez on Monday formally accepted defeat in the plebiscite, as he expressed disappointment over what he claimed was a missed opportunity to improve governance in the province.
The Palawan plebiscite is expected to become a guide for the upcoming 2022 national elections, where health protocols against COVID-19 will be enforced.