THE elections in all the 31 barangays of Dagupan may have eventually been done with last week, but investigation is still ongoing at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Manila on how some 40,000 ballots and paraphernalia for the city got lost and had to be replaced.

Dagupan City Elections Officer Remarque Ravanzo, along with Provincial Elections Officer Reddy Balarbar, washed their hands off the snafu that led to the postponement of elections in 19 of the 31 barangays in the city.

“That was not our fault since these were already beyond our control,” Ravanzo stressed.

He added that they will soon find out who was responsible for what happened.

He said they were alerted about the missing 40,000 ballots when the delivered ballots and other elections paraphernalia were being sorted out at the city treasurer’s office.

Ravanzo said a verification with the Comelec Manila showed that the missing 40,000 ballots and the paraphernalia for Dagupan were turned over to a forwarder chartered by the Comelec but the delivery truck failed to arrive and could not be located.

Since the ballots received in Dagupan were not enough, elections were held in only 12 barangays last October 25, including Bonuan Gueset, Bonuan Boquig, Bonuan Binloc, Pantal. Pugaro, Barangay 1, Barangay IV, Pogo Chico, Herrero Perez East, Caranglaan and Tambac.

Those that held elections on October 27 were Bacayao Norte, Bacayao Sur, Calmay, Mangin, Tebeng, Lomboy, Barangay 2, Salapingao, Carael, Lasip Chico, Mayombo, Poblacion Oeste, Bolosan, Lasip Grande, Tapuac, Pogo Grande, Salisay, Mamalingling and Lucao.

Ravanzo said the Comelec held an emergency session en banc and decided that locating the missing ballots would take longer so the printing of new ballots was ordered.

The replacement ballots arrived Tuesday morning.

This was the first time in the city’s election history that ballots were not delivered on time.

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