Robredo: If gov’t can already reopen tourist sites, no reason to postpone 2022 polls

MANILA, Philippines — There is no reason to postpone the 2022 national elections when the country is already starting to reopen tourist attractions like the Manila Bay “white beach” and Boracay, Vice President Leni Robredo said Sunday.

“Kung kaya nang buksan iyong Manila Bay, bubuksan na din iyong Boracay, bubuksan iyong ibang tourism sites, walang dahilan, walang dahilan para i-postpone,” Robredo said in her weekly radio show when sought to comment on the possible postponement of the 2022 national elections.

(If we can reopen Manila Bay, Boracay, and other tourism sites, there is no reason to postpone.)

House Deputy Majority Leader and Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Mikey Arroyo recently floated the possibility of postponing the 2022 polls because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it is eyeing to conduct the 2022 national elections for two to three days should the COVID-19 persist by then.

“Nagsalita na iyong Comelec na hindi ipo-postpone, kasi iyong pinaghahandaan nila ngayon, iyong pinaghahandaan nilang scenario, iyong 2022 may COVID pa din,” Robredo said.

(Comelec has already spoken that it will not be postponed and that they are already preparing for the scenario that by 2022, there will still be COVID-19.)

Robredo cited other countries that are pushing through with their national elections despite the pandemic like the United States, New Zealand, and South Korea.

Malacañang likewise rejected the possibility of postponing the elections, saying the Philippines can learn from other countries on how they will conduct the polls despite the ongoing health crisis.

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