THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday said winners in the senatorial and party-list group race could be proclaimed by May 16, or a week after the May 9 elections.
“As far as the Comelec is concerned, perhaps we can canvass the result of the senators and party lists up to May 15,” said Elections Commissioner George Garcia in a television interview.
“We can already proclaim the winning senators and party-lists, at the latest, by May 16,” Garcia added.
In the 2019 elections, the Comelec proclaimed the winning senators and party-list organizations after 9 days.
Garcia said that Congress, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), will begin the canvassing of votes for president and vice president on May 23.
“By that time, we may already have an inkling who are the winning presidential and vice presidential candidates,” said Garcia.
Back in the 2016 polls, the NBOC proclaimed President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo 18 days after Election Day.
Garcia also said the winning local candidates could be proclaimed as early as the evening of May 9.
“On the evening of May 9, we can proclaim up to the mayor. Probably, by early part of May 10, we can proceed with the congressmen, governor, vice governor, and provincial board members,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Comelec said 7 in every 10 registered voters have already received their Voter Information Sheet (VIS).
Based on data released by the poll body, 46,004,200 out of 65,709,572 VIS, or 70 percent, have already been handed out to registered voters, as of May 2.
The Cordillera Administrative Region and Ilocos Region were the first to complete the distribution at 100 percent each.
Nearing completion in VIS distribution are Bicol Region (95%), Calabarzon (94%), Central Visayas (94%), Central Luzon (83%), and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (83%).
Needing to ramp up their distribution processes are Mimaropa (76%), Davao Region (70%), Cagayan Valley (66%), Northern Mindanao (61%), and the National Capital Region (56%).
Having less than half of the VIS distributed, though, are Western Visayas (45%), Caraga (32%), Soccsksargen (30%), Zamboanga Peninsula (24%), and Eastern Visayas (16%).
Garcia has earlier said that all registered voters in the country will get their VIS in time for Election Day.
Under Republic Act No. 7904, the Comelec must provide all registered voters, through registered mail, with a voter information sheet at least 30 days before an election.
The VIS shall include the voter’s name, address, the precinct and the place where he is registered, and simplified instructions as to the casting of votes.
Attached to the VIS is a list of all official national, provincial, and city candidates to be voted in the said election.
Garcia said the list provided by the Comelec can already be used as the voter’s “kodigo” or cheat sheet on Election Day.
“We are appealing to our voters to use their VIS as their kodigo,” said Garcia.
Preparing a list of bets will help voters cut short the time they will spend inside polling precincts, the poll official said.
“If we think who we will vote for inside the polling precincts, it will take about 5 to 7 minutes. But if we bring our kodigo, it will only take about 3 minutes,” said Garcia.
At the same time, the Department of Health (DOH) yesterday appealed to registered voters who are infected with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) or those with symptoms of the illness to forego their plans of voting to prevent turning Election Day into a super spreader event.
In a virtual press briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said: “In this extraordinary time that we have this pandemic, in this extraordinary time that the virus can easily be transmitted, in this extraordinary time that this disease can cause severe and critical cases, let us be more careful. This is for all of us, not just for your family.”
“Let us forego our plans to go to the voting centers so that we can avoid causing infection in polling precincts,” she added.
The health official stressed that there remains an existing rule prohibiting infected individuals from leaving their isolation or quarantine facilities or homes.
She said it would be helpful if those required to undergo quarantine will no longer insist on voting on May 9.
“If you have symptoms, have been exposed, or your house is part of a granular lockdown area, do not go out anymore as this is not allowed by law,” she said
“We are being prohibited from going out in order to prevent further transmission of the disease,” she added.
Garcia said the Comelec will not prevent anybody, including confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, from casting their votes on May 9 because there is no law that prohibits symptomatic individuals or COVID-19 cases from voting on Election Day.
