Duterte declares May 9 a special non-working holiday

Vote-counting machine inside a precinct during the May 2019 midterm elections. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has declared May 9, Election Day, a special non-working holiday.

In signing Proclamation No. 1357 on Thursday, Duterte noted there is a need to declare May 9 a holiday “to enable the people to properly exercise their right to vote.”

“Now, therefore, I, Rodrigo Roa Duterte, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby declare Monday, 09 May 2022, a special (non-working) holiday throughout the country for the National and Local Elections,” the order reads.

Duterte earlier vowed an “orderly, clean, and honest” election this month.

For Filipinos abroad, overseas voting started on April 10 and will end on May 9.

Based on the data of the Commission on Elections, there are 67.4 million registered voters – 65.8 million in the Philippines and 1.6 million abroad – for the 2022 polls.

READ: 6.9 million new registered voters for May 9 polls — Comelec

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