COVID-19 CRISIS

Postpone elections as safety precaution? People aren't even afraid to go to fake white sand —ex-poll exec

A former Commission on Elections (Comelec) official on Friday rejected the idea of postponing the May 2022 elections as a way to protect the public from COVID-19.

In stressing his point, former Comelec commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal noted that people have been allowed to visit the Manila Bay "white sands" beach and will be allowed to visit Boracay in October when it reopens.

"Matatakot tayo na pumunta sa presinto to vote more than one year and a half away from now, pero hindi tayo takot na pumunta sa Roxas Boulevard para makita 'yung fake na sand?" Larrazabal said in a Dobol B sa News TV interview.

"Hindi tayo takot na pumunta sa Boracay this coming October? Puwede pala tayong magbakasyon pero hindi tayo puwedeng bumoto? 'Di ba may mali 'yon?" he added

On a personal note, Larrazabal said entertaining thoughts of cancelling the elections, which he stressed is unconstitutional, will result to government officials slacking off in their preparations.

"Dapat ang mindset mo, maghanda na tayo, dapat rush tayo, we have to prepare day in and day out to make sure that maayos ang elections sa 2022," he said.

Larrazabal thus proposed that the elections be held for several days, but raised concerns about the safety of ballots and election workers from harassment by supporters of candidates.

He said Comelec is already studying the legal implications of having the elections done for severa days as they consider the wages for election marshals.

Larrazabal previously said other countries have managed to hold elections even amid the COVID-19 pandemic. —KBK, GMA News