ADVERTISEMENT
Filtered By: Topstories
News

‘Posh’ Brgy. Wack Wack sees voters from all walks of life participate in village polls

By ERWIN COLCOL, GMA News

Despite being known as a "posh" barangay, Barangay Wack Wack Greenhills East on Monday saw voters from all walks of life trooping to La Salle Green Hills (LSGH) to participate in this year's barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

An estimated 2,500 registered voters are expected to cast their votes at the said polling precinct within the day, said John Joseph Leyba, the coordinator for the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) assigned to the village.

One of them, Elsa Anlowon, arrived early at the school to vote. She said she had to cast her vote early as she still had to go to work afterward.

"Kasi may trabaho kami, tulog pa 'yung amo namin. Kailangan namin maaga para habang tulog pa sila, makaboto na kami. Tapos doon na sa work," she told GMA News Online in an interview.

Anlowon lauded the orderly conduct of the elections at the school. "Walang pila masyado. Nung nakaraan 'yung sa president, marami-rami kami. Pero ngayon kaunti lang," she said.

Leyba himself expected that the voter turnout for the barangay elections to be lower.

"Relatively sa barangay elections, we're happy to get around 500 voters," he said.

"Kapag presidential or national elections, happy na kami mga 90 percent ng 2,000 [plus] voters. Medyo mas mabigat kapag presidential or national elections. Senatorial, mas mababa, mga kalahati," he added.

"Itong mga barangay, medyo lie low ka pa, medyo relaxed."

Despite the orderly conduct of the elections at LSGH, problems still occurred, such as missing names on the list of voters.

Lelina Sarmiento, for one, had to go home without being able to cast her vote as her name was not on the list of voters in the precinct she was assigned to.

She said the PPCRV told him to report the incident to the municipal office, which will give her the right to vote despite her missing name on the list.

In the end, Sarmiento opted not to vote. "May susunod pa naman," she said.

While voters came to the school alone, others opted to come in groups.

Such is the case of the sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, who arrived at LSGH donned in their religious habit.

The group told GMA News Online that they also go out together to vote, while also pointing out the orderliness of the conduct of the elections.

Voters whose polling precincts are located LSGH had to climb up the stairs to the third floor of the Grade School Building to cast their vote, but Leyba said senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) who could not do so are given special attention.

Senior citizens and PWDs who are incapable of going up can opt to vote at the first floor of the building, Leyba said.

"They [only] need to be assisted by someone as well as monitored by a Comelec (Commission on Elections), or a teacher," he said.

Such is the case of Antonia Qua, who, at an old age, had to use a walking stick to be able to move from one place to another.

Assisted by Comelec staff, Qua cast her ballot at the lobby of the school building.

Leyba said there is also a designated polling precinct for senior citizens aged 70 and above.

"Yun yung mga talagang long-time voters na rin. So nakahiwalay sila sa ibang precinct. So relatively, mas madali ring i-find out [yung precincts]," he said.

Polling precincts at LSGH will close at 3 p.m., unless the Comelec extends it. —KBK, GMA News

Tags: barangayandskelections2018, barangaywackwack
Most Popular