Team Unity (TU) senatorial bet Juan Miguel Zubiri led Genuine Opposition (GO) bet Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III by 476 votes in the canvass of election returns (ERs) from the 38 precincts of Pagalungan, Maguindanao, yesterday.

Zubiri ranked 8th in the top 12 senatorial candidates in Pagalungan with 1,216 votes, while Pimentel landed in the 20th spot with 740 votes.

GO senatorial bets dominated the Pagalungan canvass, with six GO, four TU, and two independent candidates making it to the top 12 spots. Jamulul Kiram of the TU got the highest number of votes in the municipality with 2,732 followed by senator-elect Antonio Trillanes IV with 1,911.

Cesar Montano of the TU got the 3rd slot with 1,511, followed by Senators Francis Escudero (1,448 votes), Gregorio Honasan (1,370 votes), Edgardo Angara (1,267 votes), Panfilo Lacson (1,214 votes), Alan Peter Cayetano (1,202 votes), Francis Pangilinan (1,131 votes), Manuel Villar Jr. (1,081 votes) and Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III (1,067 votes).

Lacson, Aquino, Trillanes and Cayetano were among those who got zero votes in the controversial Maguindanao certificates of candidacy (CoC) along with fellow GO bets Anna Dominique Coseteng, John Osmeña and Sonia Roco.

In the Pagalungan canvass, Coseteng got 505 votes, Osmeña with 296 while Roco garnered 506 votes.

Kilusang Bagong Lipunan bets who also got zero in the Maguindanao CoC managed to secure votes from the Pagalungan ERs, with Eduardo Orpilla garnering 18 votes, Oliver Lozano (61 votes), Felix Cantal (79 votes), Joselito Cayetano (104 votes), Victor Wood (126 votes), Mel Chavez (112 votes), Ruben Enciso (46 votes) and Antonio Estrella (49 votes).

Candidates from Ang Kapatiran party also managed to get votes from the municipality with Martin Bautista garnering 143 votes, followed by Zosimo Paredes (51 votes) and Adrian Sison (107 votes). Independent bet Richard Gomez got 170 votes from Pagalungan. Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) also yesterday released the guidelines for the voters’ registration for the barangay elections.

Based on Comelec Resolution 8218, promulgated last July 6, eligible to register for the barangay elections are those who have reached 18 years of age on or before October 29, a resident of the Philippines for at least one year and in the place where he/she proposes to vote, for at least six months immediately preceding the election and not otherwise disqualified by law.

Those who will apply for registration are required to personally file their application.

The registration will run from July 15 to 22, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the office of the Election Officer (EO) where the applicant resides.

“Applications for registration, transfer of registration record, reactivation of registration record, change of name, correction of entry/entries and inclusion/reinstatement of registration records, shall be personally filed” the resolution stated.

Applicants are also required to personally appear before the EO, and present identification documents such as employee’s ID with the signature of the employer, postal ID, student’s ID or library card signed by the school authority, senior citizen’s ID, driver’s license, National Bureau of Investigation/Philippine National Police clearance, passport, Social Security System/Government Service Insurance System ID, Professional Regulation Commission license and Integrated Bar of the Philippines ID. Kristine V. Torres The Daily Tribune © 2006