Jimenez: Comelec inspecting polling centers after series of quakes

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has been conducting post-earthquake reviews around the metro to check the structural integrity of polling centers.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez revealed this on Monday as he expressed concern over the safety and security of the public following the strong quakes that jolted the country recently.

Jimenez said that while polling centers in provincial areas do not pose a significant threat to the safety of the teachers and voters, precincts in urban areas need “continuous monitoring.”

He explained that the polling centers outside urban centers are low-rises, so they are not a major cause of concern.

“The major urban centers are where the tall buildings are, so that’s something that needs continuous monitoring and we are in the process of finishing our review post-earthquake,” he added.

Jimenez also noted that if the poll body finds issues in the structural integrity of polling centers, it may file a request before the Department of Education (DepEd) to transfer the polling place.

“We will coordinate that immediately with the DepEd so that DepEd knows what we have found,” he said.

If an earthquake would happen on election day, Jimenez said that stopping or rescheduling the voting may not be necessary. The Comelec personnel needs to assess the situation before stopping the vote.

Nevertheless, he said that vote counting machines would not restart and they should be prioritized during evacuation as well as the ballot boxes. /ee