MANILA — Towns with 12-0 votes for Team Unity continue to pour in from various regions and their entry into the count is expected to radically change the composition of the Senate’s Magic 12 and in favor of the pro-administration ticket.
“More command votes for the TU candidates are entering the electoral mainstream while support for the GO candidates is tapering off,” said Gov. Ben Evardone as the number of 12-0 towns reached 34 over the weekend.
Earlier, TU administration candidates got a big support from the first wave of command votes that came from diverse places such as Maguindanao, Eastern Samar, Lanao del Norte, Isabela province, Bohol and Danao City.
The first wave of command votes were complemented by towns that delivered votes of 11-1, 10-1-1, 9-2-1 or 8-3-1 for the TU candidates, said Evardone, who is TU media director.
From Luzon, the towns of Angadanan and Maconacon in Isabela and Castillejos in Zambales delivered 12-0 votes for TU.
From the Visayas, the towns that blanked the opposition and the independent in favor of the 12 TU candidates were Buenavista, Jetafe, Danao and Alvuquerque in Bohol; Limasawa, Southern Leyte; Lapinig, Northern Samar and San Policarpio, Eastern Samar.
From Mindanao, the 12-0 towns include 17 towns in Maguindanao, namely, Datu Paglas, Gen. Pendatun, Ampatuan, Sultan Sabaronguis, Datu Piang, Mamasapano, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Datu Angat Midtimbang, Rajah Buayan, Talayan, Guindulugan, Pandag, Saudi Ampatuan, Datu Unsay, Datu Montawal, Pagalungan and Paglat.
Five towns in Lanao del Norte?Magsaysay, Linamon, Nunungan, Sultan Naga Dimaporo and Salvador Don Victoriano?also delivered 12-0 for TU, along with Bonifacio in Misamis Occidental; and Mabuhay, Zamboanga Sibugay.
The surge to victory of the TU candidates was propped up further by towns that delivered winning votes of anywhere form 11 to 8 for the TU. These were Hernani and Balangkayan in Eastern Samar, and Abuyog in Leyte
The command votes from the 12-0 towns and those that voted a minimum of 8 TU candidates have been placed by the TU campaign strategists as enough to offset the lead of the opposition GO in the urban areas.
“These numbers give us the confidence that the winners’ profile in the Namfrel count and the official count will change soon,” Evardone said.
The command votes have historically been propping up senatorial candidates of President Arroyo.
In the 2004 elections, a total of 56 towns shut out the political opposition and delivered all their votes to the pro-Arroyo candidates.
During the May 2007 mid-term campaign, a total of 267 town and city mayors who ran unopposed or had token opposition dedicated their campaign to the 12 TU candidates to ensure a majority win for the candidates.
“Those who deny the existence of 12-0 towns or 12-0 provinces that favor the administration-backed candidates have not check into our recent political history,” Evardone said.###
2007 Elections
