By LEYTE-SAMAR DAILY EXPRESS
TACLOBAN CITY- The Commission on Elections in Eastern Visayas is preparing to hold special elections in Barangay Buenos Aires in Pagsanghan town in Samar on Saturday.
Samar Elections Supervisor Corazon Montallana said the event will be closely watched by the contending parties because it will determine the eventual winners.
The village has 492 registered voters. Based on the Comelec records, only 186 votes separate mayoralty candidates Jim Canones of the Nacionalista Party who got 2,039 votes, and Ruben Palma of Lakas-Kampi, who had 2,225.
Buenos Aires did not hold elections May 10 because the official ballots that were delivered were intended for Guimbal in Iloilo, Mendros said.
“We have to hold the special elections to determine the winners for the local positions,” said Comelec Region 8 director Jose Nick Mendros.
All winners in the region have already been proclaimed except those in Pagsanghan, a fifth town class with a population of 10,000 spread out over 13 villages.
Mendros said precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines will be used, but counting will be done manually.
The special elections will start at 7 a.m. and end at 7 pm.
Montallana said at least two teams from the 801st Infantry Brigade based in Hinabangan town were already deployed in the village to maintain peace and order.
Meantime, Mendros said that there would be no special elections in five other barangays where elections did not take place May 10.
Winners had already been declared, which is why special elections will no longer be conducted in the villages of Carolina and San Roque, both in Matuguinao, and Mabini, San Antonio and Himalandrog in Calbayog City.
Members of the Boards of Inspectors assigned to these polling areas did not show up on election day due to “security concerns.”