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HINDI angkop na malagay sa peligro ang mga nakatatanda sa tuwing boboto, ayon kay Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman George Garcia.
Para pangalagaan ang sektor ng senior citizens, plano ng Comelec magpatupad ng mga alternatibo kabilang ang pagboto sa mga itatalagang voting center sa mga commercial malls at ang mas maagang iskedyul sa mga polling precincts para sa 2025 midterm elections.
Paliwanag ni Garcia, obligasyon ng gobyerno protektahan ang tinawag niyang vulnerable sector – kabilang ang mga may kapansanan – laban sa peligrong dulot ng matinding init, lalo pa’t karaniwang idinaraos ang halalan tuwing buwan ng Mayo.
“Come May 12 next year, if we feel this heat now, it will most likely be the same next year. The elderly, persons with disabilities may feel exhausted. It’s better if we allow them to vote early. Mall voting is another method so that the people can have the option considering the hot weather. In malls, there is air-conditioning so the voting experience will be better, cooler, better environment,” wika ni Garcia.
Gayunpaman, nilinaw ng Comelec chief na pwede naman umanong bumoto pa rin ang vulnerable sector sa mga regular polling precincts sa araw ng halalan.
“That is just optional. If they don’t want to vote between 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. since they wake up late, that’s okay. They can still cast their votes,” aniya pa.
“There is a process. There will be consultation. If the majority of the residents refuse to transfer their polling precincts, then we won’t transfer them. But if the majority will prefer the transfer, then we will transfer them to malls,” dugtong ni Garcia.
Unang isinagawa ang pilot testing ng early voting para sa mga vulnerable sectors noong 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) sa Naga at Muntinlupa City, habang 10 commercial malls naman sa Metro Manila ang lumahok sa pilot run ng mall voting.
