Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 23) — The Commission on Elections is studying the possibility of limiting the number of voters and poll watchers inside voting precincts during the 2022 elections, noting this rule will ‘most likely’ be implemented if the pandemic will linger on, Comelec Chairman Sheriff Abas said on Tuesday.
Abas said the policy of five voters per precinct and limited watchers will be pilot tested in the plebiscite to ratify the division of Palawan into three provinces that is set for March 13.
Republic Act. No. 11259, or the “Charter of the Provinces of Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental, and Palawan del Sur,” was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in April 2019. The law states that the three provinces will be created upon a majority vote of residents from affected areas, excluding Puerto Princesa City. The plebiscite was supposed to be conducted on the second Monday of May 2020, but the commission had it suspended due to the pandemic.
“Ang aming naging polisiya sa plebisito sa Palawan which most likely gagawin rin namin sa panahon ng halalan is limang tao lang po ang pwedeng pumasok sa bawat presinto at ili-limit din natin iyong mga watchers ng mga politiko,” Abas told a briefing.
[Translation: Limiting to five the number of voters and setting a limit on the number of politicians’ watchers allowed inside voting precincts became our policy for the Palawan plebiscite. It will also most likely be the rule in the next election.]
The Comelec chief said the guidelines for the May 2022 polls are still being crafted, subject to the approval of the Inter-Agency Task Force. He added they will follow the recommendations of the policy-making body in the country’s COVID-19 response as regards the May 2022 guidelines, which may be released by the either the end of the year or the last quarter of 2021.
Voter registration for the next polls is set to end on Sept. 30.
The initial schedule for the filing of certificates of candidacy will be from Oct.1 to 8.
READ: Comelec releases calendar for 2022 elections
