BORACAY ISLAND, Aklan – A re-electionist and a sitting barangay councilor won as barangay captains in two of the three villages of Boracay Island.
Hector Casidsid was reelected as village chief of Yapak, according to final and official election results.
He garnered 1,637 votes defeating Marlyn Villaresis (791 votes} and former barangay chief Anselmo Casidsid (33 votes).
In Barangay Balabag, incumbent village councilor Jason Talapian won with 2,390 votes over former village chief Glenn Sacapaño (1,838 votes) and Liberty Asuncion (98), based on the canvass of election returns conducted by the Barangay Board of Canvassers.
Voter turnout in Balabag reached 4,581 voters out of 7,271 registered voters or 63 percent. This is significantly lower than the 82 percent voter turnout in the previous election.
The drop is attributed to the many employees and irregular workers who left the island after business firms suspended their operations in line with the six-month closure of the island to tourists.
The canvassing of election returns was ongoing in Barangay Manoc-Manoc as of 1:30 a.m.
The village has 11,170 voters or half of the total voters on the island.
Early unofficial results showed incumbent village councilor Nixon Sualog leading over former village chief Joel Gelito. /kga