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Bilibid inmates vote in BSKE amid complete lack of knowledge of candidates
“Basta kung sino na lang po,” said an inmate at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) who was among the 880 persons deprived of liberty who were qualified to vote in the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
“Wala naman po akong listahan. Kumbaga kung ano na lang po ang binoto ko, kasi tutal nandito po kami, hindi namin kilala e. Basta kung sino na lang po. Wala naman po kasing nakapag-ano sa amin eh,” the PDL shared in a short interview during the elections at the NBP on Monday.
(I don’t have a list of candidates. I will just pick randomly. Besides, we’re here inside. We don’t know them. No one spoke to us about who to vote for.)
“Pinag-pray ko na lang po kung sinong nararapat, kung sino po yung pwedeng iboto. Ganon na lang po kasi wala naman po kaming ano e, wala naming nagpilit sa amin kung sino ang dapat iboto,” he added.
(I just prayed about who would be the best choice. That’s what I did because we were not told to vote for any candidate.)
This was the first time PDLs were allowed to participate in a BSKE.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia said they pushed for the participation of PDLs across the country in the ongoing polls, in line with the March 2022 Supreme Court decision which ruled that inmates were allowed to vote at the local level.
With this decision, Garcia said PDLs at the NBP were allowed to register in Barangay Poblacion in Muntinlupa.
“Dito po sila lahat bumoboto. Nangangahulugan na mga registered voters po sila ng barangay na ito… Mas pinili po nila magpa-transfer ng registration... lalo na kung mga ilang taon ka nang nakakulong and therefore nag-acquire ka na ng residency sa lugar na yan,” Garcia said.
(The inmates are voting inside the NBP, which means they are registered in the barangay where the prison facility is located. They chose to transfer their voter registration here, especially those who have been detained in NBP for a long time. They have acquired residency in this area.)
For the PDLs to know their candidates, Garcia said they allowed the distribution of sample ballots from different candidates, but the BSKE aspirants were not allowed to campaign inside the NBP due to security concerns.
“Their choice may not be right or wrong but at least their choice... is reflective of democracy,” he said.
“Pinapakita natin the human side of the election… D’yan po nakikita na dapat nakakaboto ang lahat. We should never disenfranchise anybody; disenfranchisement is never the business of the republic. We should always allow everyone to vote on election day,” he said.
(We are showing the human side of the election. We can see that everyone can exercise their right to vote.)
Garcia's views were echoed by the PDLs. However, their ability to exercise their right to vote comes with the caveat that they know nothing about the candidates who are running.
“Mahalaga po kasi parang kami ang pipili sa kanila e. Parang kami po ang magsasabi kung dapat silang manungkulan,” the PDL said.
(It is important because we are the ones who will say if they deserve to be in the position.)
Another PDL was asked whether he knew any of the candidates. He said, “Di po halos lahat.”
(We don’t know most of the candidates.)
“Napakahalaga po [ng eleksyon]. Ano po yun e, isa sa ano natin ang pagboto e, isa sa karapatan po nating pantao yon e,” he added.
(Elections are important. This is one of our human rights.)
Meanwhile, Bureau of Corrections Director-General Gregorio Catapang Jr. attributed the PDLs' lack of candidate awareness to the timing of the SC decision.
“Kasi biglaan itong desisyon na ito. Siguro sa next time, gagawa kami ng protocol, itong mga nagkakandidato, bibigyan kami ng profile nila tapos kami na ang magde-disseminate… So they can have a good assessment kung sino ang gusto nilang piliin,” he said.
(The SC decision came suddenly. Maybe next time we can create protocols. Candidates can give us their profiles then we will be the ones who will disseminate their profiles so PDLs would have the opportunity to assess who they will vote for.)
While fliers were allowed to be distributed inside the NBP, Catapang said these were mere “advertisements” that did not include the background and the profile of the candidates.
The BuCor chief vowed to “do better” in future elections.
PDLs in the NBP voted from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Garcia said that in prison facilities with fewer than 50 PDLs qualified to vote, the PDLs would be escorted to a polling precinct where they could cast their votes. — DVM, GMA Integrated News
