THE Commission on Elections has expressed apprehension on the series of bombings of transmission towers in Mindanao and its possible efffect on the May 9 national and local elections.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the Comelec is deeply concerned on possible power outages during the Election Day, particular during the voting and counting.
“We are very concerned about the availability of power in the elections,” Jimenez said. “It will have a huge impact on the election process itself. The way the scheme of things will be affected because of the power outages during elections, then that would probably be pre-disposed to other problems.”
“Again, the issue is not with the elections, per se. It’s with the environment of the elections when it becomes a little complicated,” he added.
The Comelec official warned that blackouts on elections day may lead to several election-related problems, including violence against voters, violence against teachers, vandalism, breaking into a locked precincts and ballot snatching.
“In the past, you have noticed how we extended voting hours up to 7 p.m. And it gets really dark out there when there is no other source of light. It can get really intimidating,” Jimenez said.
Jimenez admitted that each vote counting machine has a battery supply that is good for 14 to 15 hours while each voting center has been assigned one generator set.
“If there is a blackout, there is no problem because of the batteries of the machines. We also provide generator sets as part of Plan B,” he said.
At the same time, President Benigno Aquino III ordered the military and police to prioritize the security of transmission towers of the NGCP after the series of bombings in Mindanao, Malacañang said Tuesday.
“When the President went to Davao for an inauguration of additional power generation facilities, he said during a press conference that he ordered for the creation of an inter-agency action regarding this issue,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. during a Palace press briefing.
Coloma said the NGCP also has transmission towers in the Cordillera area that are also at risk of being attacked.
“In all occasions, high priority is given to [the] security of these facilities because of the need for the power supply. So the Department of Energy is continuing to focus on this,” said Coloma.
Coloma made the remark after senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez challenged the DoE to draw up contingency plans to address possible failure of elections in Mindanao as a result of the bombings of power transmission towers.
Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Philippine Constitution Association, said the Aquino administration through the DoE must guarantee the public that the government is capable of preventing power outages during the election day.
“The Department of Energy should immediately present and draw up contingency measures to cope with possible power outage in Mindanao as an offshoot of these bombings during the period of elections. The DoE must assure the public that there will be adequate power supply on May polls especially in Mindanao,” Romualdez said.
The House committee on energy conducted a probe last Monday on the series of bombings of power transmissions in Mindanao, drawing fears among lawmakers about potential failure of elections in the country’s second largest island with nearly 13 million registered voters.
Romualdez said the country “cannot afford a failure of elections in Mindanao,” prompting him to call on the government to run after those responsible in the attacks.
“The government should respond to the bombings in Mindanao that already damaged 18 transmission towers since 2015. These incidents must be stopped by arresting the perpetrators and put them behind bars,” Romualdez said.
“We cannot afford a failure of elections in the entire Mindanao just because of the incompetence of our concerned authorities in carrying out their duties and mandate to protect vital installations,” Romualdez lamented.
During the House committee on energy Monday, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez warned of a failure of elections in Mindanao as a result of the bombings, as well as right-of-way issues and other obstructions.
Rodriguez said the attacks could lead to a power crisis and leave the May polls shrouded in darkness.
Mindanao has six regions which represent 23 percent of the country’s voting population of 54.4 million.
Mindanao is placed on “yellow alert” following the bombings that felled power transmission towers and cut off the supply of electricity generated by the Agus 1 and 2 hydroelectric plants to the island grid.
The PNP and AFP are currently closely coordinating with the NGCP to secure the latter’s transmission towers, especially in far-flung or secluded, isolated areas.
Initially, the PNP and AFP already ordered their field troops to help the security guards of the NGCP in securing their transmission towers.
Last week, the NGCP issued an appeal to the police and military, as well as local community leaders, local government units and the general public, to help secure the towers so power transmission services will remain uninterrupted, especially during the May 9 polls.
