4 areas eyed for hybrid polls’ pilot implementation

Senator Imee Marcos on Thursday disclosed that there are four areas eyes for the pilot implementation of hybrid elections.

During the interpellation of Senate Bill 1950, Senator Sonny Angara asked Marcos about the partial list of areas eyed for the implementation of the proposed Hybrid Election Act.

“Basically, we’re not very ambitious with this but like every electoral innovation, we could start with a pilot and it is recommended that four areas instead of the 10 clustered precincts as it’s traditionally done,” Marcos said.

The lawmaker said the areas include two rural and two urban areas possibly in Luzon and Mindanao.

“One very populous, one less populous, something fairly something representative just to get it started,” she said.

Marcos said they are “avoiding” the pilot implementation to be done during the 2022 presidential elections and it will be focused on the next midterm elections.

She added that this provision is yet to be included in the Senate Electoral Reforms committee report on the Hybrid Election Act as the said report was written before the COVID-19 pandemic

“Unfortunately, the committee report, as I said, was written in 2019, way before COVID. So all these problems are not anticipated and as a result we’ve cut down our expectations to a mere four pilot areas,” she said.

Additional cost for the papers required and the old “tara” system will also be considered for the implementation of the proposed bill.

Angara asked Marcos to confirm if the hybrid election will require around P32.7 billion based on the estimate given by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) last July 2020.

Marcos, in response said, the huge amount of funds is much needed in the 2022 polls as the commission needs to implement health safety protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I suspect that in fact, the big cost will not be for the pilot or the expanded pilot of the hybrid. The huge cost that will be entailed for 2022 will be for the COVID protocols because, firstly, we will have to extend the hours. Definitely, the recommendation of the [Department of Health] is there should be only five voters inside the precinct at any one time. There should be safety protocols,” Marcos said.

Angara pointed out that the 2022 polls will only require P12 billion, based on Comelec’s information. This was confirmed by Marcos.

In July 2020, Comelec Commissioner Marlon Casquejo said the proposed hybrid elections—one that combines manual and automated processes—for 2022 will cost at least P24 billion. -- BAP, GMA News