For the first time, voting will be allowed in 86 malls across the country, according to the Commission on Elections.
“It’s a go,” Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said in an interviewed on the eve of the second leg of PiliPinas presidential debates in Cebu City.
Bautista said an estimated 200,000 voters will benefit from the mall voting scheme.
He said the decision was arrived at after a series of public hearings were conducted with officials of affected barangays.
Bautista said that while most approved of the initiative, there were reservations from officials of other communities, like the distance of the precinct from the designated mall.
The Comelec head explained that entire clustered precincts will be moved to the assigned malls, not just voters with disabilities and senior citizens. Nonetheless, these persons will be given priority within their precincts.
A resolution on mall voting will be released within the week, the poll official said.
Meanwhile, foreign observers in the May 9 general elections should remain non-partisan or they may be charged with committing an election offense, according to Comelec.
“It shall be unlawful for any foreigner, foreign group, organization, committee or association to engage in partisan political activities, which refer to acts designed to promote the election or defeat of a particular candidate or candidates to public office,” Comelec said in Resolution No. 10079 adopted last March 11, 2016.
The resolution prohibits foreign nationals and foreign organizations accredited as foreign observers in the elections from engaging in partisan political activities.
Foreign observers are also prohibited from aiding any candidate or political party, whether directly or indirectly, as well as contributing to any election campaign or partisan political activity.
Meanwhile, former senator Richard Gordon called on voters not to let the Comelec rob them of the opportunity to have a clean, honest, transparent and credible elections due to its inability and refusal to fully comply with the requirements of the law.
Gordon made the call in the wake of the poll body’s statement that it will comply with the Supreme Court’s order to print voters’ receipts but the vote counting machines will only print simple receipts without security features.
“In as much as Comelec again will not put the time stamp, and precinct number on the voter verified paper audit trail, let us show them we are not helpless,” the senatorial candidate said.
