For Senior Citizens, PWDs Fast lanes, not special precincts

CEBU, Philippines - The election officials in Cebu City may not be able to provide special polling precincts in each of the voting centers for the exclusive use of senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWD).

Cebu City Election Officer Marchel Sarno said special precincts for senior citizens may still be congested because there are barangays that have several elderly persons like in Barangay Guadalupe, which has over 4,000 senior citizens.

He said that it would be much better if the senior citizens would avail of the fast lanes for elderly persons and PWDs in each of the precincts rather than put up an exclusive polling precinct.

“Mao ra gihapon ang mahitabo kay daghan man ang mga senior citizens, mag-ilogay gihapon sila, (It will still be the same because there are many senior citizens, they will still be crowded in the special precincts),” said Sarno.

There are over 60,000 elderly persons in Cebu City.

Republic Act 10366, enacted by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III last February 15, authorizes the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to establish at least one precinct for senior citizens in every voting center.

Sarno explained that they have a policy where whenever there are qualified voters who cannot proceed to his precinct in upper floors of the voting centers or schools, the concerned Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) will be the ones to go down and let them vote.

Their filled-up ballots will be placed inside sealed envelopes and these will be opened and counted during the counting of votes.

There were reports that several senior citizens and disabled voters failed to vote in the last elections because their precincts are situated in upper floors of school buildings.

In Cebu City, the tallest school building where the old and disabled voters experienced difficulties in going upstairs to vote is the five-storey City Central School along Natalio Bacalso Avenue. — (FREEMAN)