A TOTAL of 5,520 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in Central Visayas are allowed to vote in the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections on Monday, Oct. 30, 2023.
This will be the first time that detainees can vote for the village and youth polls in accordance with the 2022 decision from the Supreme Court (SC).
A Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) 7 official said they are making sure that qualified PDLs can participate in the electoral process.
“Karon nagpadayon atong pagpangandam sa atong mga facilities nga makabotar ang mga PDL, kadtong mga registered voters gyud,” Supt. Thomas Augustine Catarata, chief of BJMP 7’s Community Relations Service Section, told SunStar Cebu on Wednesday, Oct. 18.
(We are continuing our preparations for our facilities to allow registered PDLs to vote.)
Among the eligible PDL voters, there are 4,679 males, with 3,063 voting onsite (jail facilities) and 1,616 offsite (voting precincts), while there are 841 eligible female voters, consisting of 713 onsite and 128 offsite voters.
High court’s decision
The SC’s nine-page ruling, dated March 29, 2022, but published only on Aug. 30 of the same year, dismissed a petition that sought to prevent detainees from participating in the 2016 elections until clear guidelines were provided.
The high court, in response to the petition filed by lawyer Victor Aguinaldo, lifted the partial temporary restraining order issued on April 19, 2016 prohibiting detainees from voting in the local elections that year.
The justices noted that the petitioner lacked a personal interest in the case, failing to meet the requirements for judicial review.
The SC also saw no need to delve into the substantive issues raised by the petitioner.
As a result, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) can now fully implement its Resolution 9371, which permits detainees to register and vote in all upcoming local and national elections, including barangay and SK polls.
Voting process
PDLs eligible to vote in local elections include those facing formal charges and awaiting trial while in detention, individuals serving sentences of less than one year, and those convicted of rebellion or sedition.
The Comelec said PDLs can exercise their voting rights either through specialized polling centers within their detention facility or by visiting regular voting precincts if their registered hometown coincides with the city or municipality where the jail is situated.
In cases where there are more than 50 PDL voters, special polling centers may be set up within the jails. If these centers are insufficient, inmates will be escorted to voting precincts in their respective barangays with security personnel.
Catarata said BJMP 7 has 41 designated onsite voting centers within jails and an additional 10 locations arranged for offsite voting.
Jail facilities with onsite voting centers are Bohol District Jail-Male Dormitory (MD), Bohol District Jail-Female Dormitory (FD), Carmen District Jail, Talibon District Jail, Ubay District Jail, Tagbilaran City Jail, Argao District Jail, Bantayan District Jail, Medellin District Jail-MD, Medellin District Jail-FD, Tuburan District Jail, Bogo City Jail, Carcar City Jail, Cebu City Jail-MD, Cebu City Jail-FD, Cebu City Jail-Annex, Danao City Jail-MD, Danao City Jail-FD, Lapulapu City Jail-MD, Lapulapu City Jail-FD, Mandaue City Jail-MD, and Mandaue City Jail-FD.
The other facilities with onsite voting centers are Naga City Jail-MD, Naga City Jail-FD, Talisay City Jail-MD, Talisay City Jail-FD, Toledo City Jail-MD, Toledo City Jail-FD, Balamban Municipal Jail, Consolacion Municipal Jail, Minglanilla Municipal Jail, Bayawan District Jail, Dumaguete City District Jail-MD, Dumaguete City District Jail-FD, Guihulngan District Jail, Tanjay District Jail, Bais City Jail Canlaon City Jail, Mabinay Municipal Jail, Vallehermoso Municipal Jail, and Siquijor District Jail.
Only the correctional facility of Manjuyod District Jail in Negros Oriental did not get Comelec’s approval because it failed to reach the required number of PDLs eligible to vote, which is 50. Thus, it won’t conduct onsite voting for detainees.