PREPARATIONS of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the March 14 special congressional polls in District 2 of Antipolo City have encountered no major challenges.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the agency has yet to face significant issues with two days remaining before Election Day.
"So far, wala naman challenges sa paghahanda sa Antipolo special polls... So far so good ang paghahanda natin," Garcia said.
(So far, there haven't been any challenges in preparing for the Antipolo special polls... Everything is going well so far.)
The poll chief said the agency sees no security concerns in District 2 of Antipolo City, noting the area’s history of peaceful elections.
"Ang Rizal ever since matahimik naman. Wala sa radar namin ng mga imomonitor yan palagi. The most na nangyayari dyan ay balitaktakan sa stage, pagsasalita nilang mga kandidato ng against sa bawat isa," Garcia said.
(Rizal has always been peaceful. It’s never really been on our radar as an area that needs constant monitoring. The most you’ll see there is some heated back-and-forth on stage, with candidates speaking out against one another.)
The official said the agency will distribute election paraphernalia on March 13 to teachers assigned to clustered precincts in remote areas to prevent voting delays.
"Merong ilang barangay na sa March 13 pa lang ay bibigay na namin sa mga guro ang election paraphernalia dahil naka assign sila sa malalayo para maiwasan ang delay sa botohan," Garcia said.
(In some barangays, we’ll be giving the election paraphernalia to the teachers as early as March 13. They're assigned to remote areas, so we're doing this to avoid any delays when voting starts.)
The campaign activity ban begins March 13 under Comelec Resolution 11185.
The law also prohibits giving or accepting free transportation, food, drinks, and items of value on March 13 and 14. Authorities will also enforce a liquor ban during this period.
"Babantayan natin baka may mag violate," Garcia said.
(We’ll be keeping an eye out in case anyone commits any violations.)(Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)