Technical glitches delay poll winners' proclamation

CEBU, Philippines - Proclamation of election winners in Mandaue City was deferred yesterday due to technical glitches.

The Board of Canvassers had already canvassed 98.97 percent of the election returns when the compact flashcard of the PCOS machine in a precinct in barangay Subangdaku failed to read the results of the returns.

Last Tuesday dawn, the Board of Canvassers also failed to push with the counting of election returns after 58 PCOS machines failed to transmit results and the flashcards had to be transferred to other PCOS machines in order to proceed.

Because of this, the reading of the results of the election returns was postponed again at 3 yesterday afternoon.

But as the canvassing continued, another compact flashcard from one precinct in barangay Subangdaku had failed again to read the results, prompting Mandaue City Election officer Marchel Sarno to have the flashcard fixed at the Capitol.

As of 4:53 p.m. yesterday, re-electionist Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes was leading with over 76,784 votes while Nerissa Soon-Ruiz had 49,414 votes.

For the Vice Mayoral race, Banilad barangay captain Glenn Bercede had 70,558 while re-electionist vice-Mayor Carlo Fortuna had 52,727 votes.

Gubernatorial candidate Hilario Davide III was leading in the gubernatorial race in Mandaue City with 67,096 votes while re-electionist Governor Gwendolyn Garcia only had 51,704 votes. Vice Governor Gregorio Sancez had 62,588, while Glen Soco, 49,242.

In the provincial board race, Thadeo Ouano had 50,638, Arleigh Sitoy, 40,351; Edmund Sanchez, 39,856, while Wenceslao Gakit, 30,320.

In the city council race, almost all in council slate of Cortes made it to the top ten.

Re-electionist councilor Diosdado Suico was leading the race with 63,784 votes, followed by Beethoven Andaya, also a re-electonist, with 62,704 votes; Demetrio “Jun” Cortes had 61,900, followed by Jefferson Ceniza, also a re-electionist, with 61,437 votes.

Jimmy Lumapas had 61,009, Nenita Layese, 55,449; Emmarie Lolypop Ouano Dizon, of Soon Ruiz’s camp was in fifth with 53,242; Ben Basiga, 51,995; Elstone Dabon, 51,768; and re-electionist  Editha Cabahug of Soon-Ruiz’s camp was tenth with 49,846 votes.— THE FREEMAN