Lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano, Negros Oriental Comelec provincial election supervisor-designate. (PNA file photo by Judy Flores Partlow) DUMAGUETE CITY - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Negros Oriental is urging the youth and other individuals to sign up starting July 4 for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections this year. Lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano, the Comelec-Negros Oriental provincial election supervisor designate, on Monday said his office is awaiting the official communication from their central office. "I have already directed the election officers to conduct an inventory of the registration forms and inspect whether the voter's registration machines are working to ensure a smooth flow by July 4," Castillano said. He called on the youth aged 15 to 18 to exercise their right of suffrage by voting in the coming SK polls. Individuals 18 and above who have not registered yet are urged to do so. Castillano also reminded the people that those
Comelec-Negros Oriental provincial election supervisor-designate lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano. (PNA file photo by Judy Flores Partlow) DUMAGUETE CITY - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Negros Oriental does not have the authority to transfer the votes earned by a nuisance candidate, who has been disqualified from the elections to the legitimate poll bet. In an interview on Thursday, lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano, Comelec-Negros Oriental provincial election supervisor, made the clarification amid complaints and verifications from some quarters on the defeat of incumbent Gov. Roel Degamo in the May 9 elections. Degamo (Nacionalista Party) lost to Bayawan City Mayor Pryde Henry Teves (Nationalist People's Coalition) by 19,546 votes. The incumbent chief executive earned 281,773 votes while the Bayawan mayor earned 301,319 votes, records at the provincial Comelec here showed. Degamo's camp, however, said the incumbent governor is the rightful winner if the votes of a nuisa
Negros Oriental provincial police director Col. Germano Mallari (left) and Comelec provincial election supervisor-designate lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano. (Photo by Judy Flores Partlow) DUMAGUETE CITY - The Provincial Joint Security Control Center (PJSCC) in Negros Oriental has recommended at least nine election areas of concern in the province to be placed under the "red" category - the highest classification under the color-coded system adopted for the May 9 polls. The list is awaiting the approval of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) national office. However, lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano, the Comelec-Negros Oriental provincial election supervisor-designate, said the recommendation is based on the "old list" of the Philippine National Police (PNP) for the previous election. He said he recommended to the PJSCC only two towns to be placed under the red category as he believed the rest could be placed in the orange, yellow, and green classification, but the bo
POLL SECURITY. Officials from the Department of Education (DepEd) in Negros Oriental raise their concerns on safety to authorities during a Provincial Joint Security Control Center meeting on Friday (April 1, 2022) in Dumaguete City. In attendance were (L-R) Dr. Cyrus Elejorde of the Dumaguete Division Office; Dr. Ma. Theresa Avanzado of the Tanjay Division Office; Dr. Adolf Aguilar of the Bais Division Office; Dr. Dexter Aguilar of the Canlaon Division Office; and Dr. Senen Paulin, Negros Oriental DepEd superintendent of schools. (Photo by Judy Flores Partlow) DUMAGUETE CITY - Officials from the Department of Education (DepEd) in Negros Oriental on Friday raised concerns to authorities over their safety and security during the conduct of the May 9 national and local elections. Their concerns were addressed to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) during the 6th Provincial Joint Security Control Center
Lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano, the Negros Oriental Comelec provincial election supervisor-designate. (Photo courtesy of Comelec-Negros Oriental) DUMAGUETE CITY - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Negros Oriental is urging candidates in the May 9 polls to participate in the peace covenant signing to show their commitment to a safe, peaceful, and orderly elections. Lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano, the Comelec provincial election supervisor-designate, said on Thursday he believes the peace covenant would bring together the rival candidates for a common good. "Although we all know that not all candidates would like to show up in the same activity to face their opponents, it would be great if those who came and signed the covenant would adhere to what was manifested in the document," Castillano said in mixed English and Cebuano. The peace covenant signing is just a reminder of what to uphold during the election period leading to the polls, but the candidates are not "l