The Dumaguete Diocesan Electoral Board is opposed to suggestions to postpone the presidential elections in 2022.
Msgr. Julius Perpetuo Heruela, head of the Diocesan Electoral Board, said elections should continue despite the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
“It would be unfair if we didn’t have an election. We won’t be able to practice our right to choose our leaders,” Heruela said in Bisaya.
He said other countries pushed through with their elections despite the pandemic. “The pandemic is not a reason. We can see in other parts of the world that elections continued,” he added.
Among the many countries that held elections during the pandemic were the United States, South Korea, and Indonesia.
However, the diocesan electoral board expects a longer voting time due to the imposition of health protocols at polling areas.
The board is preparing for a voter’s campaign slated later this year. Heruela encouraged voters, especially those who have not voted in the past two elections, to check their status as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has been purging its list of inactive voters.
He appealed to first-time voters to register early as the Comelec could only accommodate a few applicants each time due to health protocols.
The diocesan electoral board said it expected at least 100,000 new voters, but found that only 20,000 turned out to register. Ryan Sorote