Palawan plebiscite experience to help in planning 2022 elections, Comelec says

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday said its experience with the Palawan plebiscite will help in planning the 2022 elections amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

“[This election] will help us plan for the 2022 election in terms of anti-COVID response,” Comelec Commissioner Antonio Kho Jr. said in a live briefing.

“Andito naman kayo, nakita ninyo how elections could be conducted in a pandemic situation,” he added.

(You were here, you saw how the elections could be conducted in a pandemic situation.)

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez also said the plebiscite proved that measures can be used to prevent further transmission of the illness during the election.

He said these include the use of an isolation polling place for those who disclosed in the health declaration forms that they were experiencing symptoms.

"Ang pinaka-importante rito ay ang paggamit ng isolation polling place. Ito 'yung mga nagpapakita ng sintomas ng COVID-19, dito sila inihihiwalay," Jimenez previously said.

Personnel manning the polling place must wear full personal protective equipment.

Kho, meanwhile, acknowledged that Palawan is smaller compared to the Philippines.

“[I]t is really a challenge for us to conduct the election in 2022 but, nevertheless, marami kaming lessons na natutunan dito. Definitely iimplement namin ito at syempre marami pang improvements na darating,” he said.

(It is really a challenge for us to conduct the election in 2022 but, nevertheless, we learned many lessons. We will definitely implement these and, of course, more improvements will be implemented.)

The Comelec has said that it sees no need to postpone the May 9, 2022 elections even if the COVID-19 is not yet over by that time after it was asked if it was considering postponing the elections due to health and safety concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Palawan Plebiscite Board of Canvassers earlier announced that the people of Palawan rejected dividing the province into three new entities.

Meanwhile, the Philippines has reported a total of 631,320 confirmed cases, including 12,848 who have died. — BM, GMA News