MANILA – Voter registration within the province of Palawan is suspended to provide technique to the actions for the plebiscite for its division into three separate provinces, the Fee on Elections (Comelec) stated on Thursday.
“The voter registration is suspended from February 11 to March 20. Our voter registration will resume on March 23, from 8 a.m. to five p.m. The workplaces of our Election Officers are open from Tuesday to Saturday together with holidays,” Sheila Could Guno, Election Officer II in Araceli city, stated in a digital briefing.
In the meantime, Comelec Area 4-B (Mimaropa) director Gloria Petallo stated the preliminary finances allocation for the referendum is at PHP79 million.
Petallo added that additionally they requested for an extra PHP50 million for the institution of extra polling locations to adjust to the rules issued by the Inter-Company Job Power for the Administration of Rising Infectious Ailments (IATF-EID).
“Due to the postponement and after the IATF authorized the well being protocol suggestion by the Comelec, so we now have to request for one more supplemental finances to cowl the extra polling locations. Earlier than the pandemic, we will accommodate 400 common voters within the polling precinct. However now, we will solely accommodate 200 to adjust to the IATF necessities, observing distancing and well being protocols,” she stated.
The referendum was initially scheduled for Could 2020 however was moved to March this yr as quarantine restrictions have been applied amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“So we requested I feel round PHP50 million excluding the bills of the provincial authorities, we requested them to offer well being provides for the native of Palawan,” Petallo stated.
The province has 490,639 registered voters.
On March 13, voters will select whether or not or to not divide Palawan into three provinces — Palawan Oriental, Palawan del Norte, and Palawan del Sur, pursuant to Republic Act 11259. (PNA)
