Sitoys, Cortes confirmed as winners

With each their votes thrice larger than their closest rivals, the tandem of Cordova Vice Mayor Teche Sitoy-Cho and Mayor Adelino Sitoy was proclaimed winner by the Cordova Board of Canvassers (BOC) yesterday.

“We proclaimed them at 7:40 p.m. (Tuesday evening) because they have a huge lead. The 472 voters who were unable to cast their ballots won’t affect their winning margins,” Cordova election officer Rafael Nolasco Jr. said.

The Provincial Board of Canvassers also dismissed the petition of Paulus Cañete to stop the proclamation of outgoing Mandaue Mayor Jonas Cortes as congressman of Cebu’s sixth district.

Acting provincial election officer Eliseo Labaria said the allegations raised by Cañete such as the illegal composition of the PBOC and manufactured results cannot be used as grounds for the suspension of the proclamation.

Cho, incumbent vice-mayor and running under the Liberal Party (LP), won the mayoralty seat with 16,542 votes over outgoing Provincial Board (PB) Member and PDP-Laban candidate Arleigh Sitoy who received 5,098 votes.

Incumbent mayor Adelino Sitoy, also under LP, won the vice-mayoralty post with 15,505 votes against PDP-Laban’s Dody Jumao-as who got 4,711 votes.

Nolasco said they will decide today if they will proclaim the first five councilors.

He also said they will hold special elections on Saturday this week for the more than 400 voters who were unable to cast their ballots.

Last Monday, 772 voters under clustered precincts 74A, 74B, 76A, and 76B of Gabi Elementary School were unable to vote because the ballots meant for their precincts were intended for Barangay Jolomaynon in Dalaguete town.

About 300 voters managed to vote after they were accommodated by other polling precinct areas in Gabi Elementary School.