De Lima seeks furlough to vote in May 2019 polls

Senator Leila de Lima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Leila de Lima on Friday filed an urgent motion at the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branches 205 asking that she be granted furlough to vote in the coming May 2019 elections.

“Movant, Leila de Lima, by counsel, most respectfully moves that she be granted furlough to exercise her right to vote on 13 May 2019 for the National and Local Elections,” her motion read.

In a motion filed on April 4 but was released only on Friday, De Lima said her camp earlier requested the Commission on Elections (Comelec) “to establish a special polling place at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center” where she is currently detained.

De Lima, however, said the Comelec responded, saying “they may not accede” to her request, citing Section 155 of the Omnibus Code,” which states that “no polling place shall be located within the perimeter of or inside a military or police camp or reservation.”

De Lima quoted the Comelec letter dated February 18, which “suggested that the accused still exercise her right to suffrage through the escorted voting system by filing a Petition before the courts that have jurisdiction over the case filed against her.”

In her urgent motion, the detained senator then asked the court “that she be allowed to avail of the escorted detainee voting mechanism provided for in Comelec resolutions, rules, and regulations.”

De Lima particularly requested that she be “allowed to exercise her right to vote under Comelec’s escorted detainee voting system from 7: 00 o’clock in the morning until 2:00 o’clock in the afternoon on May 13, 2019, Election Day.”

De Lima is s a registered voter of Prec. No. 0648A in Parañaque City. /muf