Lack of APPs disappoints Binay

CEBU, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay was disappointment over reports that the Commission on Elections failed to address the needs of the elderly and persons with disabilities during the May 13 midterm elections.

Binay reacted to a statement from the executive director of the National Council on Disability Affairs, Carmen Zubiaga, that only two out of the 36,778 polling centers in the country were designated as pilot Accessible Polling Places (APPs) for PWDs and the elderly.

Binay said that the Comelec should have been more proactive in ensuring that the elderly and PWDs are not disenfranchised simply because the polling precincts cannot accommodate their needs.

“This is clearly something that requires an explanation from the Comelec, considering that the poll body itself had issued resolutions that require polling centers to be friendlier to senior citizens and PWDs,” Binay said in a statement.

Binay said he personally saw how some senior citizens had to climb three to four stairs to reach their precincts. He also cited media reports of senior citizens suffering accidents on Election Day.

It was last year that the Comelec Resolution 9640 was issued requiring the establishment of APPs in voting centers so the PWDs can vote in a special area on the ground floor.

Comelec-7 director Temie Lambino said that weeks before the May 13 elections only two APPs in Cavite were approved. He said the voting in the area was fairly smooth.

“We were ready, we were about to train, may project talaga for this to create Special Board of Election Inspectors (SBEI), it so happen hindi na implement sa buong Pilipinas,” Lambino said.

He said that even the Congress wanted it to be implemented last elections, but it was not pursued due to budget constraint and lack of time.

Lambino said that the Comelec’s Information Technology Department (ITD) expressed that extracting the names of the elderly and the PWDs from their respective clustered precincts would take time.

“Kung aalisin ang mga names nila from their precincts, it takes time. Kung itinuloy yon last elections masisira talaga yong nakaplot na na mga clustered precincts due to the extraction,” Lambino said.

Binay said that the Comelec should now use the time leading to the next elections in 2016 to make the voting process for the disabled and the elderly easier and more efficient.

Lambino agreed to Binay’s call, since the Comelec could now have enough time to do all the necessary adjustments, but he clarified that he could not make it yet in the region since they will still wait for an approved resolution from the Comelec en banc.

“I definitely agree with Vice President Binay, tama yon. But for sure, we already have the pilot APPs, then next election, hopefully this will already be realized all over the country once a resolution will be approved,” Lambino said.

Binay also said that the growing number of PWDs interested in practicing their right to vote should not be neglected. From 300,000 registered voters in 2010, the PWD sector grew to 362,113 this year.

Lambino, on the other hand, said that even if the region was not able to apply the APPs, they still make express lanes for the senior citizens and PWDs, even had several election officers bringing the ballots down and provide full assistance to voters with disabilities.  (FREEMAN)