The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) have forged a partnership to ensure the safe conduct of the May 12 national and local elections in local government units (LGUs) affected by the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon in Negros Island.
The collaboration was formalized in a memorandum of agreement signed between OCD Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno and Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia in a ceremony held at the Provincial Capitol Social Hall in Bacolod City yesterday afternoon.
“Ang OCD ay buong puso na makikipag-partner at makikipagtulungan sa Comelec. Ang ating pagboto, ang kahalagahan niyan kahit magkakaroon tayo ng kalamidad hindi po pwede ‘yan maantala dahil ang boto ng bawat isang mamamayan ay napakahalaga,” Nepomuceno said.
Garcia said the registered voters displaced by the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon need special attention, and the Comelec wants them to feel they are important.
“Ang commitment ng Comelec, kahit hindi sila ganung kadami sa isang paaralan, kinakailangan at all cost sila ay makakaboto,” he added.
Under the volcano’s current Alert Level 3, a total of 16,991 registered voters in Negros Occidental are affected or would not be able to cast their votes in their original voting centers located within the six-kilometer extended danger zone.
In Negros Oriental, 7,371 registered voters within the six-kilometer extended danger zone are affected, while up to 14,506 registered voters are within the 10-kilometer extended danger zone would be affected.
In the event Alert Level 4 would be hoisted, up to 75,771 registered voters in Negros Occidental would be affected, while in Negros Oriental, up to 37,690 registered voters.
Based on the agreement, the cooperation between OCD and Comelec will focus on the planning and mapping out emergency exits and routes of clustered precincts during elections and the possibility of Comelec to deputize OCD to augment disaster response and security through the involvement of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to enhance the safety and security of the election process, especially in times of disaster or crisis situations.
Others include a provision allowing disaster officers and other key personnel to vote ahead of the election day to ensure that they can perform their duties during the election properly without compromising their role in disaster response and management and the establishment of an incident command post during elections to address potential emergencies or incidents, promoting a safe and secure electoral process. (PNA)