Only a constitutional amendment can postpone 2022 elections —solon

Cagayan De Oro City Representative Rufus Rodriguez on Sunday said only an amendment to the 1987 Constitution could effect a postponement of the scheduled May 9, 2022 elections to another date.

Rodriguez made the remark after the Deputy Majority Leader Mikey Arroyo last week asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) if it is considering postponing the 2022 elections due to health and safety concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a Dobol B sa News TV interview, Rodriguez, who also chairs the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments, said postponing the 2022 polls is unconstitutional as the Constitution itself provides for the date of the elections.

"Yung ating Constitution, may probisyon diyan na kailangan may eleksyon ang national officials, meaning President, Vice President, senators and congressmen, and the local officials, provinces, cities and municipalities excluding the barangay, on every second Monday of May," he said.

"So nasa Constitution yung date of election. There is no way, unless by Constitutional amendment, na maipaliban 'yan. So therefore there is no way that we can suspend it," he added.

Also, Rodriguez said it would not be "democratically correct" to hold the elections on another date.

"Every country has a regular election. It is regular kasi dapat walang postponement, no ifs and buts, talagang eleksyon talaga so that yung mga opisyal... kami, we should be able to face the judgment of our people every three years," he said.

Rodriguez is certain that if ever there is a measure seeking to postpone the 2022 elections, his committee is going to deny it for the same reasons.

Moving forward, Rodriguez said several measures could be implemented in order to ensure the safety of the voters during the conduct of the 2022 polls.

One is to allow senior citizens and persons with disabilities --- the most vulnerable sectors for COVID-19 --- to vote at least a week before May 9, 2022, he said. This proposal is covered under the measure he has filed.

"We will ask our Committee [on Suffrage and Electoral Reform] chairman, si Juliet Ferrer, to already calendar this because this will lessen sa mga tao na pipila on election day. So this will be May 2, there will be special precincts that will be placed and all seniors and PWDs will go there," he added.

Moreover, Rodriguez said the Comelec could add an additional day for the elections in order to minimize the number of people going inside polling precincts.

"Kung talaga mahigpit pa rin at nandiyan pa rin ang COVID-19, pwede naman nating ilagay na another day, May 10, so that the distancing, the number of people going to the polls will be divided," he said.

"Right now kasi, ang allowed sa polling place ay 12 people, magbo-vote na makapasok at the same time. Ngayon, gawin na nating lima, kung nandiyan pa ang COVID. That is why voting will be from 6 o'clock to 3 o'clock or to 4 o'clock. And then we also go to May 10," he added.

The Comelec also raised the same proposal during its budget briefing at the House last week.

Rodriguez, however, opposed the idea of allowing voters to cast their votes by mail.

"Hindi applicable sa atin yan. Sigurado ako na yung mga unscrupulous people will print ballots, and they would be the ones that will be sent to the voters. So wala talaga yan. We should not have voting by mail," he said.

Rodriguez also proposed to allot more budget under the 2022 national appropriations for personal protective equipment for election officials so as to reduce the risk of virus transmission.

"So these things kasi, pwedeng ma-organize 'yan by the Comelec and we can give them the funding to make sure na safe naman ang voting sa 2022," he said.

"[But] to propose na i-postpone yan ay wala talagang basis even if COVID-19 is there," he added. —LBG, GMA News