The Commission on Elections is calling on the La Castellana municipal government to finalize its contingency plan for Alert Level 4 at Kanlaon Volcano so the sites for the May 12 voting centers can be readied.
Only La Castellana has failed to complete its contingency plan specifying where its residents will be evacuated to if Alert Level 4 is raised, Lionel Marco Castillano, Comelec Negros Island Region head, said on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
The La Castellana concern was discussed at the Negros Occidental Provincial Joint Security Control Center (PJSCC) coordinating conference on preparations for the May elections. held at the Negros Residences in Bacolod City on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
They need La Castellana’s final plan so the Comelec contingency can be finalized by March, Castillano said.
He said they need to establish soon where to set up polling centers for La Castellana residents if Alert Level 4 is declared as this will need funding and approval of the Comelec en banc.
They need to be ready by March with the elections fast approaching as the Comelec en banc needs to approve the contingent transfer of polling centers, he said.
Castillano said the Election Officer of La Castellana disclosed that Mayor Rhummyla Mangilimutan wants to evacuate residents to two barangays in her town.
If the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology approves the proposed sites why not, Castillano said.
Even if Kanlaon erupts again the elections will be held, Castillano said.
Mangilimutan said her town has a contingency plan but it was revised to include not just the Himamaylan Tent City that only has 395 tents, but other sites to accommodate 10,000 families from her town who would have to be evacuated under Alert Level 4.
She said her proposed sites within La Castellana have not been approved by the Office of Civil Defense yet.
Also discussed at the PJSCC coordinating conference was the security of Moises Padilla residents who would be evacuated to Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental under Alert Level 4.
PERFORM WELL TO WIN
Castillano said local officials who performed well during the COVID-19 pandemic were re-elected.
He expects that officials who perform well in handling the Kanlaon Volcano crisis will also be reelected.
“During times of disasters people look up to their leaders on what to do…in times of disaster those who do well in their response would likely win the election,” he said.
Castillano said the Comelec Negros contingency for the May polls, including security measures, is about 85 percent ready.*