Cortes, Bercede proclaimed winners

CEBU, Philippines - Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, barangay Banilad captain Glenn Bercede and nine newly elected city councilors were proclaimed winners by the Commission on Elections at 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon.

The proclamation went ahead regardless of the uncounted votes of 681 voters in a precinct in barangay Subangdaku. The canvassing was stopped due to a technical glitch.

Mandaue City Election Officer Marchel Sarno said the proclamation proceeded with the blessing of the Comelec en banc in Manila.

However, no winner for the tenth spot in the city council was proclaimed since the votes in a precinct in Subangdaku need to be counted determine the winner.

With these votes still to be counted, Cortes already had garnered 77,082 votes, ahead of Rep.Nerissa Soon-Ruiz who got 49,815 votes.

Cortes’ runningmate Glenn Bercede got 70,851 votes while his closest rival Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna got 53,122 votes.

The partial results also revealed that re-electionist Diosdado Suico garnered the first slot with 63,784 votes. The second slot is occupied by re-electionist Beethoven Andaya with 62,704 votes, Demetrio "Jun" Cortes is in third spot with 61,900, followed by re-electionist councilor Jefferson Ceniza with 61,437. Re-electionist Jimmy Lumapas got 61,009. The sixth place is occupied by Nenita Layese, the seventh by Emmarie "Lollipop" Ouano, and followed by Ben Basiga with 51,995, and Elstone Dabon with 51,786 votes.

In the tenth place is Editha Cabahug with 49,846 votes while John Vicor Omolon in eleventh spot got 49,204 votes. Cabahug leads by a mere 642 votes.

After the proclamation, Cortes, Bercede. and the newly proclaimed city councilors attended a Thanksgiving Mass at the National Shrine of St. Joseph. (FREEMAN NEWS)