Those with Covid-19 symptoms still allowed to vote: DILG

MANILA – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Friday announced that people with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) symptoms may still cast their votes in the May 9 local and national elections.

DILG Undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said a new normal committee was formed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to make sure that the May 9 polls will proceed amid the pandemic.

The DILG, Department of Health (DOH), Department of Education (DepEd), and the Department of National Defense (DND) have signed a resolution to enforce the new normal plan.

In the polling places nationwide, Malaya said there will be a Covid-19 symptom checking process on all voters with those having signs of the ailment being put in the isolation polling place.

Under the scheme, Malaya said the DOH will deploy its personnel where appropriate medicines are made available when the need arises.

He noted that the DILG, through the local government units (LGUs), will put up health stations in the polling centers manned by their health officers.

The DepEd will ensure that there are available isolation polling places in the schools and polling centers while the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) personnel will provide security in the polling areas.

Malaya said voters with Covid-19 symptoms like fever will be led to the “isolation polling place” in the schools or polling places nationwide.

That way, he said those with the symptoms will still be allowed to vote and will not be sent home.

“Suspension of the election is not an option, kaya para masiguro natin na tuluy-tuloy ang ating eleksyon kahit sa harap ng pandemic, kahit tayo ay under a pandemic, mayroon pong binuong New Normal Committee ang Commission on Elections sa pangunguna ni Commissioner Aimee Neri (so to ensure that elections continue even in the face of a pandemic, even if we are under a pandemic, the Commission on Elections has formed a New Normal Committee headed by Commissioner Aimee Neri),’’ Malaya said during the Laging Handa briefing.

Malaya noted that the “whole DILG organization” is prepared to perform its role in the coming national and local polls.

He cited the 16,820 PNP personnel dispatched for election duties with an additional 41,965 more deployed in the 5,531 Comelec-supervised checkpoints.

He added that two mobile force units in every province are on stand-by to ensure the PNP’s capacity to respond to any possible election-related violence.

In the areas of election concern, Malaya said more police units were dispatched in the 104 municipalities and 14 cities identified as “hotspots”. 

Meanwhile, Comelec Commissioner George Garcia reminded the public that the poll body will not require voters to show negative results from the deadly virus before they will be allowed to cast their votes.

“No RT-PCR or antigen test result will be required in the exercise of political right of voting,” he said.

At the same time, Garcia said that even individuals confirmed to be positive for Covid-19 will be allowed to cast their votes.

“In fact, even those positive for Covid-19 may also be able to vote,” he said.

Garcia said those who show symptoms will be brought to the isolation polling place that Comelec will be setting up in every polling precinct.

If they continue to show symptoms, the ballots of concerned voters will be brought to the isolation area, where they will be allowed to cast their votes, he said. (With report from Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)