Monday, May 21, 2007

4th Dist. votes 8-3-1 for Senate

By: Gerardo C. Reyes Jr.

ELECTION results from Leyte 4th District bucked the national trend as its voters favored Team Unity. Official results from the Commission on Elections reveal that Northwestern Leyte voted 8-3-1 in favor of Team Unity (TU) with Prospero Pichay, Joker Arroyo and Edgardo Angara on the top three.

Ormoc’s top three senatorial results are consistent with the national trend with Loren Legarda and Francis Escudero, both from Genuine Opposition (GO), and independent Francis Pangilinan placing at the top three. However, Ormocanons six TU candidates in the top 12: Arroyo, Angara, Pichay, Recto, Defensor and Montano.

Pichay’s media advertisements must have had an effect on Leyteños considering that he topped in three towns – Kananga, Isabel and Merida. But it was in Merida where the TU made a sweep as its voters went 11-1, dropping only Sultan Kiram in favor Pangilinan.

Kananga might have delivered only an 8-4, but its voters made sure that the eight administration bets are on the top of the opposition. They are Pichay, Angara, Ralph Recto, Cesar Montano, Michael Defensor, Vicente Magsaysay and Miguel Zubiri.

Isabel’s 7-4-1 is a hodge-podge of TU and GO placed alternately. Arroyo was number one in Palompon which yielded 9-2-1. Like in Kananga, Palomponganons placed TU candidates Angara, Pichay, Vicente Sotto, Zubiri, Defensor, Montano, Magsaysay and Tessie Aquino-Oreto on top of the opposition.

It was only in Albuera where actor Cesar Montano was number one. Albueranons produced a fairly balanced output of 7-4-1 with Pichay and Angara on the top. Other leading candidates in that town are Pichay, Angara, Vilar, Pangilinan, Arroyo, Recto, Legarda, Escudero, Defensor and Aquino. Meanwhile, out of the 67,388 actual voters in Ormoc, only 18,211 of them or 27% voted for party lists.

There are 93 party list groups from which voters can choose from. However, unlike in the national level, militant groups like Bayan Muna, Gabriela, Anak Pawis, TUCP and Civac are not popular among Ormocanons.

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