PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday urged overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to exercise their right to suffrage and take advantage of the ongoing online voting, which the Commission on Elections (Comelec) rolled out for the first time for the May 12 midterm polls.
Marcos, in a video message, also appealed to Filipino voters abroad to pick candidates who have “malasakit, kakayahan at paninindigan (compassion, competence and principled).”
“Naka boto na ba kayo? Tuloy-tuloy po ang overseas voting para sa Halalan 2025. Ito po ang inyong pagkakataon na makilahok sa kinabukasan ng ating bayan (Have you voted yet? Overseas voting is ongoing for the 2025 elections. This is your opportunity to participate in the future of our country),” he said.
“Ngayon mas madali na ang pag boto, kahit nasaan kayo sa mundo. Hindi na kailangan pumila o bumyahe. Sa pamamagitan ng online voting, maipapahayag ninyo ang inyong boses nang mabilis, ligtas at maayos (Now, voting is easier, regardless of where you are in the world. You don’t need to queue or travel to vote. Through online voting, you can express your voice faster and safely and in an orderly manner),” he added.
The Comelec has extended the registration period for the online voting to May 10, from May 7. Enrollment for the online voting started on March 20.
Marcos also asked voters not just to exercise their rights but to choose the next leaders of the country wisely.
“Gamitin natin ang karapatang ito. Piliin natin ang kandidatong may malasakit, kakayahan, at may paninindigan. Sa tamang pagpili, sama-sama nating bubuuin ang bagong Pilipinas (Let us exercise our rights. Let us choose the candidates who are compassionate, competent, and have principles. By making the right choices, we wil to build a new Philippines together),” he said.
ELECTION-RELATED VIOLENCE
The PNP yesterday said it has already recorded 40 validated election-related incidents (ERIs) in relation to Monday’s national and local elections.
Citing figures as of Wednesday, the PNP said 26 of these validated ERIs are classified as “violent” while the 14 others are considered “non-violent.”
The PNP said there are 17 suspected ERIs which are being validated to determine if they are indeed related to the elections.
It said 24 other incidents, which were earlier reported to be suspected ERIs, have been established to be not-related to the polls.
The incidents were recorded since January 12 when the election period began.
As to the implementation of the election gun ban which also began last January 12, the PNP said 2,923 violators have been so far arrested.
The violators included 19 policemen, 18 military personnel, 13 foreign nationals, and 11 government officials.
The PNP said 3,011 firearms were seized, including 1,120 revolvers, 841 pistols, and 24 rifles.
NGCP
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) yesterday said all maintenance activities have been suspended since May 5 in line with contingency plans set by Comelec for the midterm elections.
It also said that construction and non-critical maintenance activities near substations and transmission lines, and maintenance works and construction activities inside substations and within 300 meters of energized power lines are temporarily suspended starting May 5 until May 16.
It added that all transmission lines have been cleared of vegetation and obstructions as of April 30, except for one line in South Luzon. Scheduled vegetation trimming along the said line is still being negotiated with the uncooperative landowner, it added.
“NGCP is strictly following its contingency measures and coordinating with concerned groups to ensure a power interruption-free election, especially during the crucial periods prescribed by the Comelec,” the NGCP said.
Based on the updated power outlook, there is sufficient supply on the critical election weeks. Maintenance activities of power plants were also adjusted to ensure their availability during this period.
The NGCP said it will activate the 24/7 operations of its Overall Command Center from May 11 until 14, while its critical units, particularly System Operations (SO) and Operations and Maintenance (O&M), will remain fully staffed and operational. Line crews, engineers, pilots, maintenance and testing, and other technical personnel have also been strategically positioned in substations to respond to line trippings, if any.
Administrative and other support teams will also remain on duty.
It said that as early as February, its Power Task Force Elections (PTFE), a special team formed to ensure the security and reliability of the transmission network across the country during the elections, already set out with preparatory activities. – With Victor Reyes
