BACOLOD CITY – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) proclaimed five candidates as winners in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) here through draw lots.
JULY Mar Fernandez (seated right) secures the seventh spot as member of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) against Danilo Jaro of Barangay 10, Bacolod City in a tiebreaker through draw lots at the Liga ng mga Barangay building on Friday, November 3. (Glazyl Masculino)
The draw lots broke the tie of two SK candidates in a ceremony at the Liga ng mga Barangay building on Friday, November 3.
Fourty-four SK kagawads (councilors) and six barangay kagawad in 19 barangays were tied but the Comelec only broke the tie for the seventh spot in five barangays.
Winning candidates who have secured the seventh spot through draw lots were SK Kagawads July Mar Fernandez, Lyka Gulisao, Marian Pantaleon, and Ray Martin Tabara of Barangays 10, 11, 26, and 29, respectively.
Also winning through draw lots were Barangay 21 Kagawad Raymund Jude Garcia who was re-elected to his third term.
He said that it was his second time to win through draw lots as he also involved in 2007 as kagawad. In his second term, he ranked fifth.
Garcia, who turned emotional when asked for his reaction, said that “it’s God’s will.”
Meanwhile, the Comelec also used draw lots to determine the ranking of candidates with the same number of votes.
These candidates were from Barangays 3, 6, 8, 9, 19, 21, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 37, and Montevista.
Comelec-Bacolod head Kathrina Trinio-Caña said that the determination of ranks is to establish the rule of succession in the barangay.
She said that a barangay official should be elected as embedded on a public policy and not by agreement of the parties.
Caña said that the assumption to office of the winning candidates will depend on the declaration of their Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE).
She added that no barangay officials have submitted their SOCEs as of Friday.
Caña said they are still in the process of encoding voter’s turnout before they could release the actual number.
She thanked the police, teachers, and those who have helped ensure a peaceful and orderly BSKE in this city.