MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte is not in favor of any move to postpone the 2022 national elections due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) fears.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the current pandemic situation should not be used to push the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to delay the upcoming elections.
“We must not use the existing global health crisis as a ground to cancel and reschedule the elections as this would not sit well with the public,” Roque said in a statement on Friday.
“The National Election is still two years away and we still have sufficient time to prepare. We can learn from the examples of other countries, such as the United States,” he added.
Talks of postponing the 2022 national elections surfaced after Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo asked a Comelec official during the House of Representatives hearing if the poll body is considering the matter.
Arroyo, however, clarified that he just wanted to know if the Comelec has any plans for the worst-case scenario if the COVID-19 pandemic persists.
“I am not telling the Comelec to do it (postponement). I was just telling them to consider it kung grabe ang pandemya, na huwag naman po sana umabot roon, nakakatakot pa rin lumabas,” Arroyo told DZBB.
“Kung saka-sakali lang po sa May 2022 na hindi pa rin natin ma-kontrol [ang pandemic], wala pang vaccine, hindi ba dapat isipin man lang na i-postpone ang elections? ‘Di ko sinabi na i-postpone agad. It was an option of last resort,” he added.
Arroyo, son of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, assured the public that he is not after violating any law or extending the term of incumbent officials.
In a separate interview, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said they were taking into consideration the pandemic as they prepare for the 2022 national polls.
“Actually, ang pinaghahandan ng Comelec ay ‘yung 2022 na merong pandemya,” Jimenez said. “As far as the Comelec is concerned, given na by 2022 ay may pandemya pa rin.”
“‘Yan ang pinaka-basis ng aming paghahanda. Kinakailangan nating mag-ingat kasi sa 2022, sa panahon ng halalan, merong pandemya at in fact ini-expect natin na wala pa diyang effective distribution ng vaccine,” he added./PN
