Drawing of lots settles ties in Negros BSKE

MANILA, Philippines — Drawing of lots will break the ties among 137 candidates in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) in Negros Occidental.

Provincial election supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria said a majority of those who received the same number of votes are candidates for barangay and SK council member.

Ananoria said there are cases involving three candidates tied for the same position.

He said only 26 ties had been resolved as of yesterday.

Ananoria said drawing of lots is the mode provided to determine the winner in case of a tie under the rules of the Commission on Elections.

In Bacolod City, election officer Kathrina Trinio-Caña said 17 ties would be resolved, also through the drawing of lots, at the Liga ng mga Barangay office on Monday.

In Lanao del Sur, Yasmalyn Macabando won another term as barangay captain of Buadi Amunta in Taraka town after luck favored her during drawing of lots.

Macabando was tied at 59 votes with Casanoding Comadug.

A coin toss decided the fate of other candidates who were tied with their opponents in other areas.

Special poll in Calbayog

Meanwhile, in Samar, a special election was held in Barangay Nag-uma in Calbayog City on Wednesday.

The election was suspended on Monday due to the delay in the delivery of election paraphernalia.

The special poll was supposed to be held on Tuesday, but a group of armed men attacked members of the Board of Election Inspectors as they were on their way to the polling center.

Five of the suspects, believed to be members of a private armed group, were wounded in a shootout with soldiers escorting the poll workers. Another suspect was arrested.

A soldier, who was also wounded, is now in stable condition in a hospital.

As this developed, Staff Sgt. Alejandro Puon of the 6th Mechanized Infantry Battalion, who was wounded in a strafing incident during election day, was awarded a medal.

Maj. Gen. Alex Rillera, 6th Infantry Division and Joint Task Force Central commander, pinned the wounded personnel medal on Puon on Monday.

Puon and three other soldiers were manning the polling center at the Crossing Simway Elementary School in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte when the incident occurred.

He is recuperating at the Camp Siongco Station Hospital in Datu Odin Sinsuat. — Michael Punongbayan, Roel Pareño