BOPK allies rule barangay polls in Cebu City

CEBU, Philippines – Candidates allied with the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) ruled the barangay elections in Cebu City yesterday.

Most of the BOPK-supported candidates are expected to win based on the established trend of the canvassing of votes as of press time. Among the BOPK allies that were already on a very comfortable lead against their respective opponents are incumbent Apas Barangay Captain Ramil Ayuman, Nicolas Leyson of Banilad, David Tumulak of Basak-Pardo, Omar Durano of Cogon-Ramos, Elmer Abella of Duljo-Fatima, Petronilo Fat of Hipodromo, Nunilo Monares, Jr. of Kalunasan, Fritz Herra of Lorega-San Miguel, Jinggoy Reformina of Zapatera, Eliodoro Sanchez of Busay and Michael Gacasan of Guadalupe.

South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña who publicly declared his support for Gacasan over Dino Faelnar, son of his erstwhile friend and political ally Eugenio "Jing-Jing" Faelnar, said he will be standing behind Gacasan.

"I would like to assure those who voted for Gacasan that I would stand behind him for good government," Osmeña said in a text message sent to The Freeman last night.

Except for what the Commission on Elections and the police described as isolated incidents, the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in Cebu yesterday was generally peaceful.

Perennial complaints like missing names, flying voters, vote-buying and illegal campaigning however continue to mar the integrity of the process. Even if the voting was delayed in some areas because of the late arrival of the election paraphernalia and the use of improvised ballots in areas where there are no official ballots available, Comelec-7 director Veronico Petalcorin said the elections in Central Visayas was 99-percent successful.

Petalcorin is also expecting a 75-percent turnout of voters in the entire region.

Improvised-Ballots

He said Mandaue City and Cebu City have the most number of improvised ballots because of the late arrival of the official ballots.

According to Petalcorin, they have improvised at least 2,000 ballots for Barangays Subangdaku, Tipolo and Umapad. 

Petalcorin said that improvised emergency ballots are provided for under Section 182 of the Omnibus Election Code.

Section 182 provided that except in the event of failure to receive the official ballots on time, or where there are no sufficient ballots for all registered voters or where they are destroyed at such time as shall render it impossible to provide other official ballots, in which cases the city or municipal treasurer shall provide other ballots which shall be as similar to the official ones as circumstances will permit and which shall be uniform within each polling place.

Petalcorin said only three barangays in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental that did not have an election because the ballots did not arrive. The election in Barangays Poblacion, Tinago and Ubos will proceed today.

Cebu City North District election officer Atty. Marchel Sarno said that flying voters increased this time because of the absence of records from which the Board of Election Tellers could compare the identity of the voters.

Sarno said that BETs were only given the Posted Computerized Voters List (PCVL) and Election Day Computerized Voters List (EDCVL) which contain only the names and some personal but not so confidential information of the voters.

"Unlike before na naa'y picture and thumbprint ang voters sa EDCVL, karon wala so anyone can just claim that he is this person. Absence of the ID could not prevent a person from voting man sad," Sarno said.

Another reason is the unavailability of the books of voters which are sealed and preserved upon the order of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal in preparation for the start of the hearings on the election protest filed by losing vice presidential candidate Manuel Roxas against Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Sarno said that the books of voters contain all the information of the voters including his picture, thumbprint and other details that could have been used by the BETs to verify identity.

"Since naa man gyud makalusot, it is now a challenge to the watchers to prevent flying voters. That's why they are there, to ensure that there will be no irregularities during the elections," he said.

Flying-Voters

Mark Gil Daclan, a resident of Barangay Suba, complained after the Board of Election Inspectors of Precinct 1889-A in Pasil Elementary School prevented him from voting because somebody already voted using his name.

"Dakung binuang… ako na hinoon ang dili makabotar tungod sa kadanghag sa mga sakop sa BEI," Daclan said showing to THE FREEMAN his clean fingertip.

An unidentified "flying-voter" also tried to vote in Precinct 1901-A assuming the name of Edelfranco Sable but was prevented by concerned citizens who knew the real Sable. The man however eluded arrest.

"Amo siya nga gisukit-sukit kay nakaila man g'yud mi ni Edelfranco Sable, sigurado man mi nga dili siya mao," one resident said.

Aside from flying voters, complaints of disenfranchisement also plague the Comelec. South District election officer Edwin Cadungog said that this is because some voters were reassigned to another precincts and whose names probably lost in the process and many other reasons.

"There are voters man pud who claims that they have voted during the last election but actually not. Before we blame the Comelec, we should verify first. You can give us your name and we can check when was the last time you cast your vote," Cadungog said.

He said it is also possible that some of the missing names were registered twice.

When a voter is found registered twice, his name is automatically removed from the list.

Some candidates also complained of the wearing of their opponents' campaign shirt by its supporters inside the polling places.

Cadungog said there is nothing wrong with wearing of campaign shirts as long as the person is not doing anything but is only inside the voting center to vote.

Comelec also reported shortage of ballots for SK election in Barangay Lorega as well as cases of alleged vote buying.

A man was invited by the Parian Police to explain allegations of vote-buying complained by the incumbent Parian barangay captain.

Incumbent Parian Captain Mark Balaga lodged a complaint of alleged vote-buying by a supporter of his opponent. Sarno told the police that they could not arrest the accused person even if they discovered his bag full of bills. Instead, he advised the complainant to file a formal complaint before the city prosecutor's office and present a witness.

All precincts in the city started almost on time except for three barangays, Sudlon I, Sudlon and Sambag II due to slight delays in the deliveries of the ballots and other supplies. - With Niña G. Sumacot, Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon, Rene U. Borromeo and Flor Z. Perolina/FPL (FREEMAN)