Comelec to create isolation polling area for voters with COVID-19 symptoms
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will put up isolation polling areas for voters found to have COVID-19 symptoms on May 9, election day, although it has yet to work out guidelines with the Department of Health.
Around 67.5 million voters are expected to cast their ballots in polling centers in the national and local elections next month.
On Thursday, Comelec Commissioner George Garcia said the poll body will designate a separate polling area for voters with COVID-19 symptoms after temperature checks.
"If a voter has COVID-19 symptoms like fever or diarrhea, they will be brought to an isolation polling precinct. That's where they can vote. They can accomplish their ballots there, and members of the electoral [boards] will drop the ballots in the vote counting machines," Garcia said in Filipino during an interview with Dobol B TV.
Comelec will coordinate with the Department of Health in ironing out the rules in rolling out these special polling centers, he added.
Garcia indicated that the isolation polling place will be located beside the precinct, adding that they will inform political parties, citizen groups and candidates of their isolation policy.
Aimee Torrefranca-Neri, another Comelec commissioner, has said earlier that the poll body is eyeing the creation of such polling places for voters in a bid to protect the public from COVID-19.
On Thursday, Garcia also said Neri is considering setting up a medical team stationed at precincts on May 9 to provide quick response to any medical issues.
The Philippines registered a total of 1,674 new COVID-19 cases from April 11 to 17, which was 12% lower than a week earlier, according to the Health Department.
Local health authorities have recorded over 3.68 million COVID-19 infections since the pandemic began. — Angelica Y. Yang
Get the latest updates on the Philippines' preparation for the May 2022 national elections amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Main image by The STAR/Michael Varcas
Local executives are optimistic of peaceful elections on Monday in North Cotabato and Basilan provinces.
North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza says Saturday she is thankful to the Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade of the 6th Infantry Division and units of the Eastern Mindanao Command in the province for supporting extensively the efforts of the Commission on Elections to ensure the safety of polling activities on Monday.
“We are also thankful to the Cotabato Provincial Police Office and the Police Regional Office-12 for their initiatives towards that goal. We are looking forward to a peaceful electoral exercise in our province on Monday,” Mendoza says. — The STAR/John Unson
Comelec names Director John Rex Laudiangco as the new spokesperson of the commission, replacing James Jimenez.
May 9, election day, has been declared a special non-working holiday.
In a proclamation released Thursday, President Rodrigo Duterte declared the holiday "to enable the people to properly exercise their right to vote, subject to the public health measures of the national government." — report from Alexis Romero
READ: Proclamation No. 1357 declaring May 9, election day, a special non-working holiday @PhilippineStar @Philstarnews pic.twitter.com/EvUUNb8Yuf
— Alexis B. Romero (@alexisbromero) May 5, 2022
The Bangsamoro police has mobilized 6,347 personnel to guard 1,195 polling sites in five provinces under its jurisdiction.
Brig. Gen. Arthur Cabalona, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, says Thursday the contingent includes 706 Reaction Standby Support Force and 405 Quick Reactionary Force personnel for deployment to Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur provinces.
Tension has markedly been high in some towns in both provinces owing to the deep-seated political animosity among local clans.
Besides Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao also covers the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Lamitan, Marawi and Cotabato. — John Unson
The Commission on Election starts the distribution and conduct of the testing and sealing of the vote counting machines (VCMs) six days prior to the election day in the remote and far flung villages in Zamboanga City.
The early distribution of the VCMs was made with the authority of the Comelec central office following the recommendation of the local poll body here, says District 2 officer Atty. Stephen Roy Cañete.
“We asked permission and we were given the authority by the Comelec central office to start the distribution of the VMCs early. In case there will be glitches we still have enough time to replace the defective VCM,” Cañete says. — The STAR/Roel Pareño
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