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Palawan plebiscite hangs in balance due to health crisis
“@COMELEC suspended preparation for Palawan plebiscite but plebiscite not postponed yet. It is in May. But we will see this month if possible,” Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said in a Twitter post.
MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday said it is monitoring developments on the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic in the country before deciding on whether or not to push through with the plebiscite on the division of Palawan into three separate provinces set on May 11.
“@COMELEC suspended preparation for Palawan plebiscite but plebiscite not postponed yet. It is in May. But we will see this month if possible,” Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said in a Twitter post.
The poll body’s en banc ordered the suspension of the preparatory activities related to the plebiscite due to the prevailing enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) imposed by President Rodrigo Duterte in the whole of Luzon.
“The Commission en banc, after due deliberation, has approved the suspension of all preparatory activities relative to the conduct of the plebiscite to ratify the division of the Province of Palawan,” it said in a memorandum dated March 25.
In November last year, the Comelec has set the plebiscite to ratify the division of the province of Palawan into three provinces on the second week of May 2020.
Republic Act 11259, signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte in April last year, mandates the creation of Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental, and Palawan del Sur through a plebiscite.
