In Negros Occidental, 82 ties in twin polls set to be broken

LUCKY WINNER | Omar Pasawilian (center), candidate for village chair of Barangay Rosary Heights 3, Cotabato City, celebrates after winning the barangay election through the drawing of lots administered by city election officerNorpaisa PaglalaManduyog. He and his rival, Sukarno Utto, (left) both got 997 votes. (DXMS RADIO PHOTO)

CEBU CITY, Cebu, Philippines — A total of 82 ties were recorded in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in Negros Occidental that need to be resolved.

Provincial election supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria said a majority of the ties involved village and SK council candidates who had the same number of votes for the seventh place in the local councils.

“The ties need to be broken,” he said Tuesday.

In some cases, the ties involved not just two but three candidates with the same number of votes.

Draw lots

In Bacolod City, the 17 ties involving barangay council bets will be broken through the drawing of lots at the Liga ng Barangay Office on Nov. 6, said city election officer Kathrina Trinio-Caña.

But in Mindanao, Monday’s violence-rocked youth and village elections in several parts of the region turned into winning a game of chance for some lucky candidates.

In Pagadian City, incumbent chair Romeo Ibo of Barangay Bulawan retained his seat after luckily getting the winning card in a drawing of lots with another contender, Anita Cansancio, on Tuesday presided over by city election officer Jed Labador. Both Ibo and Cansancio obtained 395 votes.

Written notice

Labador explained that drawing of lots to break a tie is pursuant to Comelec Resolution No. 10083 (General Instruction for the Board of Canvassers on the Consolidation/Canvass and Transmission of Votes), unless the candidates decide to concede through a written notice.

In Cotabato City, the tie for the village chief post of Rosary Heights 3 was resolved on Tuesday also by drawing of lots. Omar Pasawilian emerged as a winner in the drawing of lots administered by city election officer lawyer Norpaisa Paglala Manduyog. He and his rival, Sukarno Utto, both got 997 votes.

—REPORTS FROM CARLA P. GOMEZ, JOEY GABIETA, NESTLE SEMILLA, DALE ISRAEL, LEAH AGONOY, BOBBY E. LAGSA, CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN AND EDWIN O. FERNANDEZ