Missing names, unassisted PWDs mar barangay polls in Makati school

VOTERS’ WOES  The barangay elections at the Pio del Pilar Elementary School in Makati City opened at 7 a.m. Monday, Oct. 28, 2013 not without a hitch as missing names and unassisted persons with disabilities (PWDs) were common complaints. Video by INQUIRER.net’s Ryan Leagogo

MANILA, Philippines – Barangay (village) polls at the Pio del Pilar Elementary School in Makati City started at 7 a.m. Monday but not without a hitch.

Voters said the process was orderly but some complained of missing names in the voters list and lack of assistance for persons with disabilities (PWD).

Voters at the Pio del Pilar Elementary School in Makati City look for their names before casting their ballots Monday, Oct. 28, 2013. RYAN LEAGOGO

Pio Del Pilar has been tagged an election hotspot in the 2013 barangay polls.

Father Rene Lagaya said he did not have a problem voting in the school, host to 13000 registered voters, because of the systematic process and the smaller number of voters compared to the national elections.

However, Nenita Reyes, a senior citizen and PWD, said not only was she not assisted but she also could not find her name in the voters’ list.

“They said I am assigned to a different precinct… I voted here in the last elections… I will not go there. I will not vote (anymore). It’s difficult to walk,” she said.

Elizabeth Elvina of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting said they expected the elections at the elementary school to be peaceful. She said the only problem would be the lengthy manual counting after the polls.

Makati has 33 villages, 2,993 precincts and 411,218 registered voters, according to the Commission on Elections.

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