Comelec ready for Ormoc plebiscite

MANILA, Philippines — Preparations are underway for a plebiscite in Ormoc, Leyte to ratify the merger of 28 barangays to three and renaming of another.

Under Resolution 110796, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) scheduled the plebiscite on Oct. 8.

The plebiscite period, including the campaign and information drive and gun ban, are set from Sept. 24 to Oct. 15.

A technical working group of the Ormoc city government held a dialogue with Comelec-Eastern Visayas director Jose Nick Mendros recently to clarify issues regarding the plebiscite.

On Jan. 19, 2021, the Ormoc city council approved the merger of Barangays 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 15, 17, 23 and 27 to be known as Barangay South; Barangays 9, 10, 11, 16, 18, 25 and 28 to be known as Barangay East, and Barangays 14, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24 and 26 to be known as Barangay West.

The merger is seen to maximize the delivery of services as the 28 barangays, some of which have fewer than 100 residents, do not meet the requirements on population.

The plebiscite will also ratify the renaming of Barangay 29 as Barangay North.

Ormoc is currently composed of 110 barangays.

Cavite special polls

Meanwhile, the Comelec has started drafting the resolutions and guidelines for the holding of special elections in the seventh district of Cavite to elect a representative following the appointment of Jesus Crispin Remulla as secretary of the Department of Justice.

At the Laging Handa forum yesterday, Comelec spokesman Rex Laudiangco said the special elections would be held on March 25, 2023 if the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections will push through this year.

If the twin polls will be postponed, the special elections will be conducted either in late December this year or in January 2023.

Laudiangco said the poll body has yet to determine the needed funding and whether to hold automated or manual elections.

He said the poll body is also studying if automated elections would be more economical as the machines to be used are in place.

Laudiangco reiterated that the Comelec is still on track for the Dec. 5 barangay and SK polls pending the signing of a law postponing the twin polls.

He said the printing of the ballots would start next week based on a revised agreement with the National Printing Office.

The Comelec said around 91.2 million ballots would be printed for the barangay and SK elections. – Robertzon Ramirez