By Benjamin Cuaresma
COTABATO CITY — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday proclaimed five of nine winning parliamentary district candidates in Lanao del Sur following the September 14 Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE), as provincial canvassers moved closer to completing the vote count.
Lanao del Sur election supervisor Lawyer Mohammad Nabil Mutia said the five candidates were proclaimed after 97.79 percent of the election returns from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao had been canvassed.
The proclaimed winners are:
- Hamza Gauraki (UBJP) — Second District
- Lampa Pandi (UBJP) — Fourth District
- Hosni Macapodi (SIAP) — Sixth District
- Rayyan Mindalano (SIAP) — Seventh District
- Ahmad Amir Balindong (UBJP) — Eighth District
The provincial board of canvassers is continuing its proceedings at the Lanao del Sur provincial capitol in Marawi City.
Mutia said the remaining four winners will be proclaimed once the canvassing of all election returns is completed.
He credited security forces, local government officials, election personnel and other stakeholders for ensuring the orderly conduct of the polls in the province.
“There were minor incidents, but they did not in any way affect the overall conduct of elections,” Mutia said.
He described the BPE as the most peaceful balloting conducted in Lanao del Sur so far, despite the minor incidents recorded during the electoral process.
The proclamation of the five district representatives marks a significant step toward completing the province’s parliamentary representation in the Bangsamoro legislature, with four district contests still awaiting final canvass and proclamation.
ia/xf
