Maj. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division commander, is encouraging all soldiers who registered for the three-day Local Absentee Voting (LSV) to exercise their rights to suffrage.
“We would like to thank the Commission of Elections (Comelec) for the opportunity given to soldiers to vote, before their actual deployment in areas of Western and Central Visayas. Together with other state forces and the Comelec, we all aim to have a safe and peaceful election this coming May”, he said.
Arevalo said 1,186 3ID personnel across Western and Central Visayas signified to the Commission of Election to participate in a three-day LAV.
A total of 61 personnel of the 303rd Infantry Brigade in Brgy Minoyan, Murcia, Negros Occidental, were approved by the Comelec to participate in the LAV.
In the first two days of the LAV 1,231 of the Philippine National Police personnel in Negros Occidental have already voted.
Absentee voters can only vote for a president, vice president, 12 senators, and one party-list group using manual ballots.
The Comelec-approved local absentee voters have until Friday, April 29, to vote.
Among the more than 2,700 approved absentee voters are two members of the media in Bacolod City, and soldiers, policemen, firemen, personnel of the Comelec, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Education and some local government units in Negros Occidental.
The sealed LAV ballots will be sent to the Comelec Special Electoral Board and will be counted on election day, Negros Occidental Acting Provincial Elections Supervisor, Roberto Salazar, said.*