Commission on Elections chairman George Erwin Garcia and Office of Civil Defense Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno signed a memorandum agreement for safe elections, especially in areas hit by Kanlaon Volcano’s unrest in Negros Island.
The MOA for the enforcement of a disaster contingency plan for safe elections was signed in a ceremony at the Provincial Capitol Social Hall in Bacolod City Thursday afternoon, May 1.
The registered voters in La Castellana, Bago City, La Carlota City, Pontevedra and Murcia in Negros Occidental affected under Alert Level 3 at Kanlaon Volcano are 16,991, and 75,771 should it be raised to Alert Level 4, OCD data showed.
Nepomuceno said it is important that the people can vote even if a calamity occurs not only in Kanlaon but in other parts of the country.
The Philippines had 300 volcanoes of which 24 are active, he said, placing the Philippines on the top of the list of the world risk index.
It is a huge red flag that requires us to always be ready during elections, he said.
The MOA will institutionalize the partnership of the OCD and the COMELEC that is “tasked with the sacred duty that our democracy will be at its best,” Nepomuceno said.
Garcia said they signed the MOA because whether there is a natural or human calamity, they must be ready at all times for the conduct of elections.
The Comelec is committed to ensuring that residents affected by Kanlaon Volcano’s unrest will be able to vote at all costs, he said.
“At all costs the Comelec and its partners must find a way that elections take place,” he said, to prevent a failure of elections.
“The ballot is the symbol of the people’s desire for a better future through the choice of right leaders,” Garcia said.
The MOA inked by the Comelec and OCD establishes a partnership between the two agencies on disaster risk reduction and management to ensure that elections take place even if disasters occur.
This includes planning and mapping out of emergency exits and routes of clustered precincts during elections, the MOA states.
It also includes the possibility of COMELEC ‘s deputizing OCD to augment disaster response and security through the involvement of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to enhance safety and security of the election process, especially in times of disaster or crisis situations.
A provision allowing disaster officers and other key personnel to vote ahead of the election day to ensure that they can perform their duties during the election proper without compromising their role in disaster response and management was also included.
The agreement also includes the establishment of an Incident Command Post during elections to address potential emergencies or incidents to ensure a safe and secure electoral process.*