Velasco calls for ‘safe, free’ elections in 2022 amid threats of COVID-19

SPEAKER LORD ALLAN VELASCO. Photo from the Office of the Speaker, House of Representatives

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Lord Allan Velasco on Tuesday called on concerned government agencies to ensure safe and free voting in the upcoming 2022 elections amid the persisting COVID-19 threat.

Velasco underscored the importance of balancing the need for free and democratic elections while keeping voters safe and healthy.

“The pandemic around the world to an almost complete halt, but our democratic processes must endure. The greatest of these democratic processes, of course, is suffrage,” Velasco said during an online forum hosted by the House Committee on People’s Participation on the impact of the pandemic in the 2022 polls.

“Ang ating mga kababayan ay nararapat na hayaang makapili ng mga mamumuno sa isang bukas at malayang eleksyon,” he added.

(Our countrymen deserve to vote for whoever they want to lead in a free election.)

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He pointed to the recently concluded Palawan plebiscite, which he said served as a testing ground for the 2022 elections. Health safety measures such as temperature checks, social distancing, and personal protective equipment for election frontliners were implemented.

Meanwhile, Velasco noted the pandemic’s effect in transforming the traditional electoral system, similar to what had happened in the country’s educational system.

He said the person-to-person campaigns and public hall debates would most likely move to the online sphere.

“We must ensure, therefore, that the voice of those who have less in life, those who do not have easy access to internet-ready devices shall still be heard by the candidates,” he said.

Further, Velasco added that convincing Filipinos, especially the youth, to go out and exercise their right to vote in next year’s polls amid the ongoing pandemic would be a great challenge.

“Like the most effective approach to the pandemic, this challenge should also be addressed through a whole-of-nation approach,” Velasco said.

“Obligasyon po nating lahat na hikayatin ang bawat isang Filipino, lalo na ang ating mga kabataan, na magparehistro upang makaboto at sa araw ng halalan ay pumunta sa mga presinto upang makaboto nang buong laya at katapatan,” he added.

(It is our obligation to encourage every Filipino, especially the youth, to register and to encourage them to go to their respective precinct to vote freely and with honesty.)

The latest data from the Commission on Elections showed that there are so far around 60 million registered voters in the country, including 4.8 million new voters and those who re-activated their registration.

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