VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur, Philippines — A total of 161,975 voters registered in this province’s 1st District are to troop to polling precincts today for the special elections that will install a new congressman, replacing resigned Rep. Ronald V. Singson.

Lawyer Marino Salas, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) supervisor here, said the poll precincts will open at exactly 7 a.m. and close at 3 p.m.

The two candidates vying for the position in this province’s 1st congressional district are Ryan V. Singson (Bileg Party), vice mayor of Vigan City, and lawyer Beltran Baterina (Liberal Party), who ran for the same post last year but lost to the former’s elder brother, Ronald.

Peculiarly, both run their respective campaigns claiming that they have the endorsement of the Liberal Party (LP) of President Benigno S. Aquino III.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said elections will be manual in which voters will write the name of their candidate.

“There are 11 municipalities in the first district. What we agreed is that we will augment the 11 election officers with election officers coming from the second district. Kasi may request ang opposition dun e,” said Brillantes.

“There was this special request from (Bertrand) Baterina and just to be sure na hindi magka-question ang opposition, we accommodated it,” he added.

Ryan, a son of Governor Luis “Chavit” Singson, is being endorsed by Councilor France Ranchez, LP-Ilocos Sur president, while Baterina has the backing of former Board Member Efren Rafanan, who lost to Chavit in last year’s gubernatorial race. (With a report by Leslie Ann G. Aquino)