Vulnerable sector to get express lane, emergency precincts for elections

Comelec Commissioner Aimee Ferolino informs persons with disabilities and senior citizens about the emergency voting centers that will make it easier for them to vote. | Delta Dyrecka Letigio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The vulnerable sector will be able to vote with ease this coming May 9 elections as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has ensured the establishment of emergency voting centers and express lanes for them.

Comelec Commissioner Aimee Ferolino came to Cebu City to educate senior citizens and persons with disability (PWD) sectors on how they might be able to cast their votes in these coming elections.

“Ang atong office, ang Vulnerable Sector Office, bag-o pa gyod kaayo ni. Ang purpose ani pagtagad sa miyembro sa atong vulnerable sector. Ang myembro ani ang senior citizens, PWDs, IPs (Indigenous People), ug Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL). Gipahibalo nato kanila kining atong emergency polling place granting them the privilege to vote in emergency accessible places.

(Our office, the Vulnerable Sector Office, this is a new office. The purpose of this is to take care of members of the vulnerable sector. The members of this sector are senior citizens, PWDs, IPs (indigenous people), and Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL). We are informing them about our emergency polling place, granting them the privilege to vote in emergency accessible places.)

“Kung naglisod silag mobility, pwede sila mobotar sa polling places nga atong iset-up nga pinakaduol nga dili na sila maglisod na labi na if layo ilang mga precincto,” said Ferolino.

(If they find mobility difficult, they can vote in the polling places that we set up that is the nearest and they will not find it difficult to vote especially if the precinct is far.)

The commissioner said this was an innovation that would continuously be amended with the request of the vulnerable sector for their accessibility.

Each polling area such as a public school will have an emergency polling place that should be accessible to PWDs, senior citizens, and pregnant women.

Comelec personnel will get the ballot of the individual from his or her original precinct and will be brought to the individual waiting in the emergency polling place.

Assistants will be ready to provide help to the individuals in case they will have difficulties in communicating, shading the ballots, or reading the ballots.

The ballot will then be brought to the original precinct by the assistant on the individual’s behalf and will be fed to the Vote Counting Machine (VCM).

“Ang convenience ani maghulat na lang siya, and pwede na siyang molakaw,” said Ferolino.

(The convenience for them here is that they will just have to wait and then they can leave later.)

She also assured that the assistants would be Comelec employees to ensure their credibility and reliability.

The Comelec is urging seniors and PWDs to signify now to their district, municipal, or city election offices their needs for the elections so that the polling center can prepare.

They can request communication assistance, literacy assistance, mobility assistance, and other specifics, so that the polling areas can get ready for their needs.

Comelec also explained that each precinct would have an express lane, so if they would be capable of going up to the second floor or third floor of the building, they would still be prioritized upon reaching the precinct.

The agency said they were working hard that all individuals would be able to equally cast their votes just like the rest of the voting sectors.

So the senior citizens and PWDs are urged to take advantage og the emergency polling precincts by registering now so they can vote with ease come May 9.

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