Palace rebuffs call to postpone 2022 polls due to COVID-19 pandemic

Malacañang on Friday rejected the idea of postponing the May 2022 elections due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The holding of elections is a public service that the government must ensure to deliver. The idea to postpone the 2022 elections, if and when it happens, presents constitutional challenges,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.

“We must not use the existing global health crisis as a ground to cancel and reschedule the elections as this would not sit well with the public.”

Roque said the 1987 Constitution was clear on the “fixed date” for the national elections, which is the second Monday of May every three years.

House Deputy Majority Leader Mikey Arroyo has said a postponement could be an “option of last resort” should the COVID-19 situation worsen by May 2022 when the nation is expected to elect a new set of government officials, including the successor of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesperson James Jimenez said they did not see the need to postpone the 2022 elections at this time, adding the poll body is exploring ways to ensure a safe conduct of the polls.

Jimenez said the poll body is eyeing to expand the alternative voting method, the online filing of certificate of candidacy, and requiring voters to wear face shields and face masks.

He also said the Comelec is also considering using large gymnasiums or covered courts as voting centers instead of classrooms.

Roque added the Philippines can learn from the experiences of other countries, such as the United States, which will be holding a presidential election in November, on how they conduct polls during the pandemic.

South Korea, Belarus, Poland, Singapore, and the Dominican Republic also pushed through with their elections this year.

“We still have sufficient time to prepare,” Roque said.—AOL, GMA News