spot_img
28.1 C
Philippines
Friday, March 29, 2024

Virus-proof May ‘22 polls sought

- Advertisement -

Senator Imee Marcos, chairperson of the committee on electoral reforms and people’s participation, yesterday urged the government to make every effort to COVID-proof our elections.

She presided over a virtual hearing on Senate Resolution No. 716 inquiring into the necessary laws to be enacted in order for the Commission on Elections to hold orderly elections for the May 2022 national, local, and BARRM elections with the proper health and safety protocols against COVID-19.

While many elections have been cancelled or postponed throughout the world, Marcos said there were also elections successfully undertaken amid the pandemic.

She cited the case of Palawan wherein residents went to the polling places last March 13 to vote on whether to approve or reject the move to divide the province into three.

For her part, Senator Cynthia Villar underscored the need for the Comelec to purchase additional vote counting machines in order to allow the poll body to increase the number of polling precincts.

- Advertisement -

Without additional polling places, Villar said the additional health protocols that would be observed during the elections could further slow down the voting process and “It is unlikely for the Comelec to finish it in one day.”

Meanwhile, Senator Francis Tolentino asked Comelec officials if an election could be conducted in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in May 2022 even without an electoral code.

Comelec Director Teopisto Elnas opined that local elections could be conducted in BARMM but they would have difficulty in conducting parliamentary elections because they have operational and administrative issues on the matter.

Elnas also said they have no basis for the allocation of ballots, printing of ballots and filing of the Certificates of Candidac in the region.

- Advertisement -

LATEST NEWS

Popular Articles