Baku:Batanes The upcoming special congressional election in Batanes, scheduled for November 28, could see a candidate elected to the House of Representatives with fewer than 3,000 votes, according to Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson George Garcia.
According to Philippines News Agency, Garcia highlighted the competitive nature of the election, noting that all four candidates for the province's lone district seat are prominent figures. The candidates include Edward Ike De Sagon (Independent), John Gato (Nationalist People's Coalition), Luis Andres Abad (Liberal Party), and Marilou Cayco (Partido Federal ng Pilipinas).
Abad is the son of former congressman Butch Abad, Cayco is a former governor of Batanes, Gato is a relative of the late Batanes Representative Ciriaco Gato Jr., and De Sagon is a retired Commodore of the Philippine Navy. The province's voting population stands at 13,138 registered voters, making the threshold for victory relatively low.
Garcia mentioned that securing 2,700 to 2,800 votes could be sufficient for a candidate to win the congressional seat. The special election is being held to fill the vacancy left by the late Batanes Representative Ciriaco Gato Jr., who passed away on September 21.
