The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday said the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan
Elections (BSKE) have come to a close as all winners have been proclaimed.
Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said the last set of winners that have been proclaimed are
those who got the same number of votes in seven barangays in Western Visayas.
“We are 100 percent done with the elections. Had just resolved the last tie,” he said in a Viber
message.
Garcia noted that the areas where two barangay chairpersons, two barangay council members and 10
SK councilors garnered the same number of votes have been resolved either through drawing of lots
or tossing coins.
Under the Omnibus Election Code, drawing of lots and tossing coins are two methods that can be
used to break a tie during polls.
These are in Barangay Guiwanon, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras; Barangay San Pedro, Tapaz, Capiz;
Barangay Tiringanan, Janiuay, Iloilo; Barangay Aripdip, San Rafael, Iloilo; Barangay Talibong Pequeno,
Mina, Iloilo; Barangay Initan, Tapaz, Capiz and Zone 14A, Talisay City, Negros Occidental.
Voter turnout
Meanwhile, the Comelec has recorded a 76 percent voter turnout based on the report of 160 out of
the 1,634 cities and municipalities nationwide.
It noted that for the barangay polls, the initial voter turnout is at 75.76 percent or 3,614,800 actual
voters out of 4,771,373 registered voters.
Meanwhile, for the youth polls, the Comelec recorded a 76.08 percent turnout or 1,258,644 actual
voters out of 1,654,373 registered voters.
“(This is) our running total on voter’s turnout, subject to change as more reports come in today,”
Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said in a message.
The initial voter turnout for the 2023 BSKE is higher than that in the 2018 polls where there was 71.20
percent voter turnout or 40,890,372 actual voters out of 57,429,273 registered voters.
As for SK voters, the data showed 65.51 percent turnout or 13,529,267 actual voters out of
20,651,711 registered voters.
No withdrawal among cops
The Philippine National Police (PNP), meanwhile, clarified that no police personnel backed out from
serving as special electoral board members.
PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo, in a press briefing at Camp Crame, Quezon City, said Comelec
Commissioner Aimee Ferolino made the clarification as she thanked more than 1,000 police officers
who served as special electoral board members.
“What happened particularly in Tineg, Abra during election day was that there were teachers that
backed out. They claimed that they could not be protected by the police and the military personnel
who were there. However, our local election officers intervened and said the polls must push through
so at 1 p.m. on Oct. 30, the polls at a village in Tineg pushed through and the police were there to
secure them,” she added.
Fajardo said the Comelec is now investigating these teachers who decided to stop the polls at 9 a.m.
on election day.
“In fact, our police personnel proceeded to the area to assume duties as special electoral board
members. But eventually, those teachers who withdrew, I understand, later decided to continue
serving on that day,” she added.
Fajardo, meanwhile, said they have anticipated a higher number of poll-linked incidents for this year’s
village and youth polls.
“The last BSKE was in 2018 or five years ago. This is one factor. In our risk and threat assessment, we
have also considered intense political rivalry as another factor,” she added.
Based on the PNP’s latest data, the number of validated election-related incidents (ERIs) from the Oct.
30 BSKE has climbed to 47 – higher than the 40 ERIs recorded in the 2018 polls.
At least 15 people were killed while 43 others were wounded in these incidents.
