89.34% voted ‘yes’ to merge, rename barangays in Ormoc — Comelec

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Saturday said that nearly 90% of residents backed an ordinance that would merge 28 barangays into three and rename one barangay in Ormoc City, Leyte.

Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said 89.34% voted “yes,” while 10.08% voted “no" during the plebiscite. 

A "yes" vote will result in the merger of Barangay Districts 14, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, and 26 into Barangay West; Districts 9, 10, 11, 16, 18, 25, and 28 into Barangay East; Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 15, 17, 23, and 27 into Barangay South; while District 29 will be renamed Barangay North.

Laudiangco said 53% of the more than 10,000 residents of these 29 barangays trooped to the polling centers and cast their votes despite the changing weather throughout the day.

“With this reverberating decision, the City Government of Ormoc hopes and intends to bring Barangay Governance more efficiently and effectively to the people, ensure the delivery of basic services and usher the whole of government closer to the Ormocanons,” he said.

Laudiangco said the Ormoc plebiscite was the fourth in a series of plebiscites held this year.

He thanked the security forces, Comelec accredited citizen’s arm, media personnel, and other stakeholders for their efforts to ensure “full transparency, credibility and accountability in all elections, plebiscites and other electoral exercises.”

Meanwhile, Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia earlier said the plebiscite was conducted “peacefully and orderly.”

The National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), accredited by the Comelec as a citizen’s arm, said that the city government and the Comelec "satisfied the administrative, legal, and reportorial requirements for the conduct of the plebiscite.” — VBL, GMA News