Postponing the 2022 elections is off the table even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) reiterated on Tuesday.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez made the position on the same day that the group identified as Coalition for Life and Democracy asked the poll body to act on its December 10, 2021 petition seeking to move the national elections to May 9, 2025 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and unresolved petitions before the poll body.
“Of course, that [postponement of May polls] is what they want to happen. In fact, we have been warning about this from the beginning, that they will come up with all the excuses to postpone the elections. It is not going to happen,” Jimenez said at a news briefing.
“It [May 2022 polls postponement] is not something that should be considered. Postponing the 2022 elections is going against the Constitution. How can you go against the Constitution? The Comelec sees no reason to postpone the elections,” he added.
Jimenez was referring to the constitutional provisions which state that unless otherwise provided by law, the regular election for president, vice president should be held on the second Monday of May every six years [Article VII, Section 4] and the second Monday of May every three years for senators and members of the House of Representatives [Article VI, Section 8].
Given the constitutional provisions, Jimenez stressed that the May 2022 polls cannot be postponed like the barangay elections.
“[The date of] barangay elections is set by law enacted by Congress. The national elections is not enacted by some law. It is in the
Constitution. Those who are saying that [national elections can be postponed like barangay elections], they have no idea what they are talking about,” Jimenez pointed out.
Ultimately, Jimenez said that Comelec is capable of multitasking even amid the pending petitions seeking to cancel the certificate of candidacy or disqualification of certain 2022 hopefuls.
“Comelec is not a one trick pony. It can do many things at the same time,” he said.
“Tuloy ang halalan, hindi tayo made-delay (The elections are on and it won’t be delayed),” Jimenez added.
The government has placed Bulacan, Cavite and Rizal under stricter Alert Level 3 on Tuesday aside from Metro Manila due to increasing COVID-19 cases amid the emergence of the more transmissible Omicron variant.
