The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is requesting President Rodrigo Duterte to declare the national elections on May 9, Monday, as a special non-working holiday.
Comelec chairman Saidamen Pangarungan said the en banc had signed Resolution 10784 containing the commission’s request to the President.
“We signed resolution 10784 requesting President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to declare May 9, 2022 a special non-working holiday all throughout the country in connection with the national and local elections,” Pangarungan said.
The Comelec said 84,357 voters have been allowed to avail themselves of local absentee voting (LAV), which will last until today, April 29.
Meanwhile, Comelec said registered voters who were found positive for COVID-19 can still vote during the May 9 elections.
While the Department of Health does not recommend COVID positive to cast ballots during the national elections, the Comelec said virus-infected patients might vote in isolated polling precincts and as long as they were allowed to go out of their quarantine areas.
“It is not in our policy to prevent them from voting. What we are just asking is that they wear face masks and if you can, wear a face shield,” Comelec Commissioner George Garcia said.
“They can vote. We will make a way to set up isolation centers in each polling center, so they will be separated from other voters, and they will be able to vote in isolation centers,” he said.
The poll official assured those experiencing symptoms could vote and would not be turned away.
Earlier, the Department of Health called on people with COVID-19 symptoms to just stay in their homes to avoid spreading the virus.
At the same time, President Duterte urged the public to practice minimum health protocols to avoid a post-election surge.
