‘Suspend barangay polls in Pampanga’

SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga — Gov. Lito Lapid and Vice Gov. Mikey Arroyo prodded the Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday to suspend barangay elections, slated on Monday, in heavily flooded areas, fearing that otherwise, at least half of almost a million local voters could be disenfranchised.

Latest reports show that the number of flooded barangays has swelled to 175 in 14 towns as more heavy rains poured yesterday. As of noon yesterday, the provincial disaster coordinating council said 68,757 families or 338,183 people were affected by floodwaters as high as four feet in some areas.

"It’s not only the voters in the flooded areas who could be disenfranchised, but also those in dry areas whose voting precincts are underwater," said provincial administrator Benalfre Galang.

With 14 towns still submerged, Galang said about half of the province’s voting population will not be able to cast their votes if the elections push through on Monday.

Arroyo, who cut short his honeymoon with wife Angela in San Francisco, said elections in deeply flooded areas, if not postponed, will expose voters to danger, noting that only bancas and homemade rafts ferry residents in many barangays.

Lapid was slated to confer with mayors of the flooded towns to find out which areas can be covered by their proposed suspension of elections.

This, as two more persons were reported to have drowned in floodwaters in Central Luzon, bringing the death toll to seven. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) identified them as Junel Guela, 11, of Orani, Bataan, and Kim Eiperson, 2, of Malolos, Bulacan.

As of yesterday, the DSWD said the number of flooded barangays increased to 553 in 60 towns in Pampanga, Bulacan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Zambales, and in the cities of Angeles, Olongapo and Cabanatuan, affecting at least 128,219 families or 600,468 people. At least 981 of the families or 4,720 people are temporarily housed in evacuation centers.

Pampanga’s disaster officials said the Gapan-San Fernando-Olongapo (GSO) road in Lubao, and the Angeles-Porac and Mexico-San Isidro roads remained impassable yesterday even to large vehicles due to floodwaters as high as four to five feet.

Arroyo said he has been coordinating with the DSWD and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office for additional relief help for the flood-affected families.

"We have more than enough supply of relief goods but we have to be judicious in their distribution as we expect more floodings during the rest of the rainy season," he said.