THE National Government has instructed local government units (LGUs) in the country to establish a medical help desk and ready coronavirus disease (Covid-19) response teams, hospitals and health centers, as voters with Covid-like symptoms are allowed to vote on Election Day, May 9.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said the Commission on Elections (Comelec), DILG, Department of Education, Department of Health, and Department of National Defense have issued a Multilateral Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that allowed voters who will exhibit Covid-like symptoms upon arrival at the polling precincts to cast their vote via the isolation polling places (IPP).
The Comelec clarified earlier that the IPPs will be established not for Covid-19 patients but for voters who will show symptoms upon arrival at the voting precincts.
During President Rodrigo Duterte’s Talk to the People Address aired Tuesday morning, May 3, Año said under the agencies’ MOA, strict adherence to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) health and safety standards for Covid-19 must be ensured on May 9.
Voters, especially symptomatic individuals, must be provided with “free, timely, and effective basic first aid assistance, medicines and emergency medical care as necessary,” he said.
He added that LGUs must also ensure that all risks, hazards and dangers to health and life are prevented and addressed. These include election-related violence and event exposure to extremely hot weather, among others.
The government then instructed LGUs to establish one medical help desk with complete provision of necessary resources, while Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs) and Covid-19 response teams must be on stand-by.
“All LGUs shall ensure the readiness of LGU-run hospitals and health centers in the provision of emergency medical response units should the need arise,” Año said.
He also appealed to political parties and candidates not to take advantage of the medical help desks and other facilities and services, stressing that these should not be used as vehicle for political propaganda or promotion of any person's candidacy.
He added that LGUs may tap members of the BHERTs as possible support staff in polling center and in medical help desks, but this will be subject to coordination with and approval of field officers of the Comelec.
Meanwhile, Año reported that the DILG, in coordination with the Comelec, has established 5,224 Comelec checkpoints and deployed 40,208 policemen to these operations throughout the country as of May 1.
These Comelec checkpoints have reported a total of 2,813 violations from January 9 to May 1, 2022.
They also arrested 2,934 persons and confiscated 1,070 deadly weapons, 2,241 firearms and 11,892 ammunition.
Año assured that the DILG and other agencies are ready to ensure orderly, peaceful and honest elections on May 9. (LMY)