TACLOBAN CITY-The regional Commission on Elections (Comelec)has assured voters in landslide-hit areas and those recently hit by typhoon ‘Odette’ could still exercise their right to vote relative to the May 9 elections.
Lawyer Felicisimo Embalsado, the assistant director of the Comelec, said makeshifts will be constructed in areas where affected voters could vote.
The polls official was referring to some areas in Southern Leyte where Odette struck last December and those hit by landslide incidents in Baybay City and Abuyog, both in Leyte.
“Makeshifts will be constructed that will serve as (polling) centers. We will find ways for voters of these areas could cast their right to vote as it is their constitutional right,” Embalsado said.
According to him, the construction of these makeshift polling precincts will start next week as their office is now in the process of buying needed materials like plywoods and tarpaulins.
At least P500,000 has been set aside by the commission to construct 30 makeshift polling precincts to serve around 10,000 registered voters.
Embalsado said that the makeshift polling centers will be constructed in safe areas, possibly in town the center.
He added that these polling precincts are to be constructed in the towns of Bontoc, Macrohon, Sogod, Bontoc, and San Ricardo, all in Southern Leyte which were hit by Odette last year.
The same facility will also be constructed in Abuyog and Baybay which were hit by deadly landslide incidents.
All these areas have seen their public schools, which served as their polling precincts, destroyed due to these natural calamities.
Meantime, Embalsado said that all the needed 6, 271 voting counting machines and ballot boxes, among others, have been deployed to the six provincial Comelec offices in the region beginning Thursday (April 21).
The official ballots, however, are expected to arrive at least three days before the May 9 balloting.
Eastern Visayas has more than 3.16 million registered voters.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

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