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MANILA, Philippines – An election watchdog and election attorney have insisted that even the COVID-19 pandemic is not a sufficient reason to suspend the 2022 presidential elections, adding that it may be premature to speak about such measures.
Lawyer Romulo Macalintal said in a statement on Friday that the law states that an election can only be postponed if there is illegal violence, terrorism or destruction of electoral paraphernalia, all of which would make it impossible to vote.
“Our law is very clear that elections can only be postponed in the event of violence, terrorism, or destruction of electoral records, which would make it impossible to conduct a fair and credible election. Therefore, it is still very premature to think about postponing the polls for about a year and a half before the elections, ”Macalintal explained.
However, he also emphasized that it is unclear why some sectors may consider postponing the next elections, since it would deny the claim of President Rodrigo Dutere and the administration that the country is winning in the face of the health crisis.
And since there are still almost 20 months left before the May 2022 election, the administration should be able to figure things out – that is, if it is outpacing COVID-19. Instead, he urged the Elections Commission (Comelec) to observe the upcoming U.S. elections and point out possible scenarios in 2022.
“The call to postpone the May 2022 elections due to COVID-19 contradicts President Duterte’s assertion that the government is doing everything possible to address the pandemic and his call not to believe critics of the administration,” Macalintal pointed out.
“Perhaps the government, especially Comelec, can closely observe the upcoming November US presidential elections that will take place despite the pandemic where the United States is one of the most affected by the virus with about 7 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 ”, he added.
Talks about the possibility of postponing the 2022 elections came after the representative of the second district of Pampanga, Mikey Arroyo, asked Comelec if he has a “Plan B” for the 2022 elections amid the current crisis of Health. He also asked Comelec if he has considered postponing the polls, something that did not sit well with many parties.
The idea of suspending an election did not sit well with other lawmakers and officials, including the opposition Senate bloc, while even Malacañang has rejected those talks. In his defense, Arroyo clarified that such measures would only be a “last resort” option in case the coronavirus pandemic worsens.
According to the Legal Network for True Elections (Lens), the 2022 elections may be postponed if Congress passes a law suspending them. However, they see no justification behind a suspension, as Comelec still has a lot of time on its hands to prepare for such elections.
“If Congress really wants to postpone the next 2022 national and local elections, they can postpone it until the last day of May 2022. Following our 2016 electoral experience, the election of president and vice president can still be proclaimed before the term expires. . of the current ones ”, clarified Lente.
“The [Comelec] You have at least 20 full months to prepare and implement measures to meet recommended health standards to combat COVID-19 threats […] In fact, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Malaysia have held their elections this year, amid the pandemic, “he added.
Currently, the country has one of the highest COVID-19 cases in the Southeast Asia region. As of Friday, there are 299,361 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Philippines, of which 61,766 are still active; 232,399 have recovered from the disease, while the death toll is 5,196.
The country is currently not doing well compared to its neighbors as it has a moderate transmission rate according to Lancet Commission COVID-19 data. The study ranked the Philippines 66th out of 91 countries in terms of containing the disease. [ac]
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