Tied mayoral election in the Philippines settled by the toss of a coin
Marvic Feraren and Boyet Py needed two rounds of flicking to end the impasse
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The new mayor-elect of a small Filipino village won his position with the toss of a coin on Tuesday.
Marvic Feraren of the Liberal Party and the Nacionalista Party's Boyet Py both bagged 3,236 votes in the mayoral race in San Teodoro, Mindoro Oriental province, on Monday.
The Elections Commission suggested the two men flip a coin five times each, which is allowed under the country's Election Code to break a tie.
Reny Pagilagon, the election officer, told the Wall Street Journal: “I suggested a coin toss, with whoever flipping the most number of heads after five tries to be declared the winner.
"They agreed and when I searched my pocket for loose change, I found a five peso coin,” he said, adding that as rule, the coin must be tossed by the candidates above their heads and bounce at least once on the ground.
The two men battled it out in a bare-walled room, taking it in turns to flick the coin to the ground.
They tied in the first round, each flipping two heads after five goes, but the second round saw 49-year-old Feraren emerge victorious, flipping two heads to Mr Py’s one.
“It was a suspense thriller,” said Mayor-elect Feraren, who reportedly hugged his defeated rival after the contest.
According to ABS-CBN, the outcome was received without negative reaction in San Teodoro.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments