Coin toss breaks tie in Bocaue mayoral race

BOCAUE, Bulacan—On the toss of a coin, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) resolved a tie in the mayoral race in this first-class municipality following Monday’s elections.

The coin turned in favor of Eleanor “Joni” Villanueva of the Liberal Party, who received 16,694 votes, the same number garnered by her rival, Jim Valerio, an independent candidate, based on unofficial results from the Comelec transparency server as of 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

Valerio served as provincial administrator under reelectionist Gov. Wilhemino Sy-Alvarado, while Villanueva is the daughter of religious leader Eddie Villanueva and sister of one of the leading senatorial candidates, Joel Villanueva.

Deogracias Danao, election officer of the municipality dubbed the fireworks capital of the country, said lawyers of the two candidates agreed to the coin toss after an hour of discussion. Villanueva won in a best-of-five flips.

Comelec Resolution No. 183 states that candidates are allowed to break a tie by drawing lots.

Villanueva would be succeeding her brother, outgoing Mayor Eduardo Villanueva Jr.

Aaron Andres, a voter, expressed frustration at the way the town’s mayor was elected.

“Of course, many of us are disappointed. Those who did not vote regretted their decision. Imagine, a single vote could have turned the history [differently],” he said.

The counting of votes in Kibungan, a fourth-class municipality in Benguet province, also ended in a deadlock for two candidates for councilor, delaying the proclamation of winners.

Draw lots

Comelec officials resolved the stalemate between Onoda Aplat and Ben Palukpoc by making them draw lots on Tuesday.

The candidates were asked to pick pieces of paper containing the numbers 8 and 9, representing the ranks to be followed in determining the last council seat to be filled up. Aplat won.

The Kibungan results were the last to be transmitted to the Benguet board of canvassers, according to lawyer Ricardo Lampac, the election supervisor.

The votes helped determine the winner in the vice gubernatorial race because of the slim margin of votes cast for Concepcion Balao and Florence Tingbaoen.

Tingbaoen was proclaimed the new vice governor, garnering 56,615 votes against Balao’s 54,870. Reports from Ron Lopez and Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Inquirer Central Luzon, and Kimberlie Quitasol, Inquirer Northern Luzon