THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday said companions of persons with disability (PWDs), senior citizens (SC), and heavily pregnant voters in Naga City and Muntinlupa City will be allowed to cast their votes earlier than everyone else during the October 30 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
“The early voting hours shall be from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. on Election Day and shall be exclusive only for PWD, SC, and heavily pregnant voters of Naga City and Muntinlupa City, including their assistor/companion, if any,” said Comelec Resolution No. 10947.
The Comelec will assign designated polling places for the vulnerable voters.
For the companions to avail of the benefit of voting early, the Comelec said he/she must be a voter of the same voting center.
If the identified companion does not belong to the same clustered precinct as the PWD, SC, or pregnant voters, the Comelec said the Electoral Board (EB) chairman shall issue a note for the EB of the clustered precinct where the companion will be voting, stating the name of the SC, PWD, or heavily pregnant, the clustered precinct number where he/she voted, and the name of the authorized assistor/companion, who will be voting in the other clustered precinct.
“The EB of the clustered precinct shall accommodate the concerned assistor/companion and shall take note of this in their Minutes,” said the Comelec.
The Comelec has earlier announced that it will pilot test the early voting hours scheme for PWDs, SCs, and pregnant voters in Naga City and Muntinlupa City.
The move, the poll body said, seeks to ensure that the voting process is convenient and accessible to members of the vulnerable sectors.
The PWDs, SCs, and pregnant voters who cannot, by themselves, accomplish the ballot may vote with the assistance of an assistor or companion, according to the Comelec.
DISQUALIFICATION CASES
Meanwhile, the Comelec said at least 66 BSKE candidates are facing possible disqualification cases.
The poll body said it will start filing charges this week against those accused of prematurely campaigning.
Data as of September 23 provided by the Comelec showed that 66 BSKE bets face possible disqualification cases “upon initial assessment.”
The 66 are among the 1,955 candidates issued with Show Cause Orders (SCOs) by the Comelec due to premature campaigning.
Of the 1,955 bets with SCOs, the poll body said it has received 228 answers from candidates.
The Comelec said it has dropped complaints against 104 bets due to lack of “factual basis.”
To note, electioneering activities are prohibited until October 18 as the BSKE campaign period will start only on October 19.
Comelec chairman George Garcia has said it is the Comelec’s goal to resolve the petitions for disqualification before the October 30 elections.
