Early voting for senior citizens, persons with disabilities sought

CEBU, Philippines - Two bills have been filed in Congress which seeks the early voting of senior citizens and persons with disabilities in next year’s elections.

Rep. Gabriel Quisumbing of the sixth district filed Monday in Congress House Bill 5963 entitled “An Act Providing For Early Voting of Senior Citizens and Appropriating Funds therefore.”

On the same day, he also filed HB 5964 entitled”An Act Providing for the Early Voting of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and Appropriating Funds therefore.”

Quisumbing proposes that the COMELEC coordinate with local government units, the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Local and Interior Government in designing systems and assistance that shall be accorded to senior citizens and PWDs.

He said voting for both PWDs and senior citizens be made a day before the regular elections in order to ensure that polling places are provided with the necessary mobility, communication, visual, and other form of assistance.

Quisumbing said that during the 2010 elections, many senior citizens and PWDs failed to cast their votes and left the polling precincts because they couldn’t endure the long lines and lengthy procedures.

With their failure to cast their votes, they were deprived of their right to suffrage, he said.  - THE FREEMAN