Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Plebiscite for a 4th Davao province shows favorable lead





DAVAO CITY – Early turnout of votes in Monday’s (October 28) barangay elections to ratify the creation of Mindanao’s 27th province in Davao del Sur got a comfortable lead in the canvassing.

As of 4:00 pm Tuesday, official but partial result of the canvassing of plebiscite returns showed that 105,254 voters favor the creation of a Davao Occidental province, to be carved out from the southern municipalities of Davao del Sur.

A third of this number, or 39,453 votes, were cast against its creation.

The result was generated from the canvassed returns of nine municipalities, including from the capital of Digos City, 60 kilometers south of here.

Only six municipalities, five of them within the proposed new province, were not yet canvassed.

The plebiscite was contained in the ballot for the election of barangay elections last Monday, in a form of a question on whether or not the voter would approve of the Davao Occidental province.

The proposal, House Bill 4451, was authored by then Reps. Franklin Bautista and Marc Douglas Cagas, each belonging to bitter rival political families. It was passed as Republic Act 10360 creating the province but to be subject to a plebiscite.

The new province would be carved out from the southern municipalities of Santa Maria, Malita, Don Marcelino, Jose Abad Santos and Sarangani. When ratified, Davao del Sur and Davao Occidental would have one legislative district each.

Davao del Sur belongs to the Davao Region, which is also comprised by Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley and Davao City.

The following towns voted (yes-no) in the plebiscite: Bansalan (10,172 - 3,544), Hagonoy (9,853 – 4,208), Magsaysay (10,961 – 2,528), Padada (5,315 - 3,790), Santa Cruz (15,272 – 5,025), Malalag (9,792 -
2,408), Santa Maria (7,327 – 3,318), Sulop (6,936 – 1,335) and Digos City (29,626 – 13,297).

Plebiscite returns were not yet canvassed from the municipalities of Matanao, Don Marcelino, Malita, Jose Abad Santos and Kiblawan.

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