Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 9) — The plebiscite on the law dividing Palawan into three provinces will push through in the first quarter of 2021 after the policy-making body in the government’s coronavirus response approved the health and safety protocols for the delayed voting.
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 these three provinces will be created upon a majority vote of residents from affected areas, excluding the capital and highly urbanized city of Puerto Princesa.
Under the law, the plebiscite should be conducted on the second Monday of May 2020, but the Commission on Elections had it suspended due to the pandemic.
On Thursday, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases approved the health and safety measures for the election to proceed. Registered voters aged 18 to 21 or 60 years old and above will be exempted from mobility restrictions so they can go out and vote. The same goes for pregnant women and people with health risks.
These protocols were presented by the Commission on Elections and vetted by the Department of Health, the task force said.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, who also speaks for the IATF, said in a statement that the voting should be done in two days, with only five persons in a room at a time. Such details were not mentioned in IATF’s resolution.
“Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections is encouraged to devise safety mechanisms and procedures so confirmed COVID-19 and / or symptomatic patients can exercise their right to vote,” Roque said.
Palawan Governor Jose Alvarez had pushed for Palawan’s division to better manage the huge province and its islands. Some groups opposed the split, saying it was being used by politicians to perpetuate themselves in power through more local elective posts.
In a media briefing on Friday, Alvarez described Palawan as mildly hit by the coronavirus disease, with only 59 active cases or currently ill patients. Some popular destinations, including El Nido, started accepting a limited number of tourists from low-risk areas since October 1, provided that their RT-PCR test is negative for COVID-19.
