Robredo: If Manila Bay 'beach', Boracay can be opened, no reason to postpone 2022 elections

Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday said there is no reason to postpone the 2022 elections.

"Eh iyong pagbukas lang ng Manila Bay... kung kaya nang buksan iyong Manila Bay, bubuksan na din iyong Boracay, bubuksan iyong ibang tourism sites, walang dahilan, walang dahilan para i-postpone," Robredo said in her weekly radio show BISErbisyo.

Robredo also said other countries have shown that elections can still push through amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Ipinakita ng ibang bansa na tuloy iyong eleksyon kahit nasa gitna ng COVID. Iyong Netherlands yata iyong katatapos lang ng eleksyon, iyong Norway—ay, hindi iyong Norway. Iyong US, iyong US magkakaroon ng eleksyon sa November. Iyong South Korea. Iyong New Zealand magkakaroon ng eleksyon soon. So ipinapakita, Ka Ely, na kaya," she said.

Robredo also noted that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said there is no need to postpone the May 9, 2022 elections even if the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet over by that time.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said last week the pandemic has been the "basis" of the poll body's already ongoing preparations for the 2022 elections.

"Actually, ang pinaghahandaan ng Comelec ay 'yung 2022 na merong pandemya," he said. "As far as the Comelec is concerned, given na na by 2022 ay may pandemya pa rin."

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

On Monday, Jimenez also disclosed that the Comelec is considering allowing postal voting or mail-in voting for senior citizens and persons with disability (PWDs) in the 2022 elections amid the COVID-19 threat.

House Deputy Majority Leader Mikey Arroyo on Thursday asked the Comelec if it is considering postponing the 2022 elections due to health and safety concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

After Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and former Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal called him out, Arroyo on Friday denied pushing for the postponement of the 2022 elections, saying that he merely wants to know if the poll body is prepared for the worst-case scenario given the pandemic.

“I am not telling the Comelec to do it. I was just telling them to consider it kung grabe ang pandemya, na huwag naman po sana umabot roon, nakakatakot pa rin lumabas,” Arroyo said.

“Kung saka-sakali lang po sa May 2022 na hindi pa rin natin ma-kontrol [ang pandemic], wala pang vaccine... hindi ba dapat isipin man lang na i-postpone ang elections? 'Di ko sinabi na i-postpone agad. It was an option of last resort," he added. —KG, GMA News