PNP: Plan to allow inmates to vote a security risk

CABANATUAN CITY, Philippines – The plan to allow some 42,000 prisoners to register and vote in the 2010 elections would pose a major security risk inside jails nationwide and to candidates who would campaign inside jails, the Philippine National Police said yesterday.

Senior Superintendent Ricardo Marquez, PNP provincial director, told The STAR that there are some high-profile prisoners and members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) detained in some of the country’s jails who may pose security problems for the PNP and jail guards once they are allowed to vote.

“They might even be able to hold hostage some civilians if they are allowed to vote inside the jail facilities,” he said, adding that securing them would be an added burden to the PNP.

Marquez was reacting to the plan by the Commission on Elections and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology to allow prisoners to cast their votes.

BJMP Director Rosendo Dial earlier said they are now waiting for the en banc resolution of the Comelec which will provide the guidelines and procedures on how the inmates can register and vote in the 2010 polls.

He said a technical working group is working out with the Commission on Human Rights and the BJMP on the plan.

Presently, there are around 59,000 BJMP inmates throughout the country of whom 42,000 can register and vote. Registration and casting of votes will be done inside the jail facilities during which the jail guards will be deputized by the Comelec.

Dial said makeshift polling precincts nay be set up inside the warden’s office, administrative office or in the front gate. He said that if possible, all makeshift polling precincts be set up right inside the jail facilities,

Marquez said he prefers that inmates who have not been convicted by final judgment be the ones authorized to register and vote.