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MANILA, Philippines – Apart from the Electoral Commission (Comelec), senators, their fellow congressmen and even Malacañang rejected on Friday the call of the representative of Pampanga, Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo to postpone the elections of May 9, 2022, apparently for the COVID-19 Pandemic.
“We should not use the current global health crisis as a reason to cancel and reschedule the elections, as this would not sit well with the public,” said presidential spokesman Harry Roque in a statement.
“The holding of elections is a public service that the government must guarantee. The idea of postponing the 2022 elections, should it occur, presents constitutional challenges, “added Roque.
Roque pointed out that the Constitution “has a clear date set for the national elections, which is the second Monday in May” and that “we still have enough time to prepare” since the next national elections are still 19 months away.
“We can learn from the examples of other countries, such as the United States, which will hold elections later this year, about how they conduct polls during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Roque added.
The Pampanga congressman made the call during a hearing on the Elections Commission’s budget, but later clarified that his comment was only a “last resort” option if a pandemic still persists.
Still, his suggestion drew bipartisan criticism from the Senate and even the House of Representatives.
Cagayan de Oro representative Rufus Rodríguez also rejected proposals to postpone the elections, citing the constitutional provision that presidential and vice-presidential elections must be held on the second Monday in May every six years and legislative and local elections every three years.
“The senators, [congressional] representatives and [local government] All elected officials must face the crucible of facing the judgment of our people in regular elections as mandated by our Constitution, ”he said.
The House Minority Leader and Representative of Bayan Muna, Carlos Isagani Zarate, warned that proposals to postpone the 2022 elections can be used to prolong the grip on power of unscrupulous officials.
“This proposal clearly has no basis, since our national elections are marked by the Constitution, and neither Malacañang, Congress or Comelec can alter it without going against the mandate of the Constitution,” said Zárate in an online press conference .
“There really is no noble goal to postpone, except for the personal agenda of those who are pushing it, and not really out of concern for the citizens,” said Gabriela’s female representative, Arlene Brosas.
Even President Duterte’s allies in the Senate rejected Arroyo’s suggestion with Senator Christopher “Bong” Go insisting that Comelec had sufficient time to address public health concerns during the elections.
“The government must guarantee the continuity of the provision of public services, including the protection [the] The right to vote for Filipinos even in times of crisis, ”Go said.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III agreed with Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Senator Panfilo Lacson that moving the May 2022 elections to another date would contravene the Constitution, which explicitly states the term limits of elected officials.
If elections are postponed, Sotto said those who would remain in the remaining capacity and others who would be temporarily appointed to elective positions would face only legal and constitutional challenges.
Lacson said allowing elected officials to remain in office beyond their term without clearly voting would violate the Charter.
“So any discussion or debate on this topic is a futile exercise, if not a waste of time and energy,” Lacson said. “At the end of the day, it is the Constitution that should guide us all in this regard.”
Drilon said he was confident that senators would cross party lines by opposing attempts to postpone the next election.
“We will vigorously oppose this in the Senate. I believe that senators will not be swayed by any argument to allow the postponement of a national election, “said Drilon.
Comelec itself issued a statement on Friday reiterating that the electoral body does not see any reason to postpone the elections, as they are provided for by the Constitution.
Comelec spokesman James Jiménez said the election agency’s plans included the possibility that the pandemic will remain a threat by 2022. —WITH REPORTS FROM JULIE M. AURELIO, MARLON RAMOS, MELVIN GASCON AND JOVIC YEE
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