Over 47K PDLs nationwide set to vote on May 9 for Eleksyon 2022 —BJMP

A total of 47,785 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) nationwide who are registered for Eleksyon 2022 are set to vote in the May 9 polls, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) said on Sunday. 

In a Super Radyo dzBB interview, BJMP spokesperson Jail Superintendent Xavier Solda said these PDLs could only vote for president, vice president, senators, and party-list, like in the absentee voting.

He also explained that if there are 50 and below PDLs in a facility, they will have to be transferred to a polling precinct to vote. However, if there are 51 of them and above, their facility itself will be used as a special polling place and personnel of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will personally go there to man the conduct of elections.

“Doon sa polling precinct sa labas ng facility, meron diyang mga special lanes para sa mga PDLs natin at na-coordinate na natin ito sa mga enforcers natin sa grounds kasama diyan ang PNP at AFP. Dapat may authority din from the court o court order na pinapayagan sila lumabas para bumoto,” he said.

(There are special lanes for our PDLs in the polling precinct outside the facility and we have already coordinated this with our enforcers on the grounds including the PNP and AFP. There must also be an authority from the court or court order that would allow them to leave the jail facilities to vote.)

To help inform PDLs about the candidates’ platforms, Solda said they have provided them access to radios and televisions so they could watch their interviews and debates.

Further, for PDLs with COVID-19 symptoms on Election Day, Solda said nurses would have to check them first and test them using antigen test kits if they could go out to vote.

“Ang sa amin lang naman, gusto natin na mapagtibay ‘yung karapatan nila sa pagboto pero hindi nangangahulugan na magkakaroon tayo ng problemang pangkalusugan para sa ibang tao. Dito sa mga PDLs natin, iche-check muna natin talaga muna,” he said.

(We want to enforce their right to vote but that does not mean that we could already cause health problems for other people. We really have to check our PDLs first.)

Comelec Commissioner George Garcia on Thursday said voters with COVID-19 can vote as long as they are allowed to get out of isolation facilities. He added that the Comelec also has no policy that prohibits those who are just isolating at their home from casting their vote.

Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Duterte earlier reminded the voters to comply with the minimum public health standards in polling places on Election Day to prevent another COVID-19 surge in the country, considering the separate warnings of the Department of Health and OCTA Research of a possible increase in COVID-19 infections. —KG, GMA News