Comelec cuts vote time by 2 hours

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has decided to shorten voting hours in the May 9 local and national polls.

Voting hours will be from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. – two hours shorter than in the 2013 mid-term polls, when the centers were open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said yesterday.

In a press briefing, Bautista said they approved the new voting hours after they were able to bring down the number of voters assigned to each clustered precinct from 1,000 to 800.

“Also, as much as possible, we want to encourage the voters to vote early because remember, the job of the BEI does not stop after the voting ends. They still have many things to do like transmitting the
 results,” he said, referring to the Board of Elections Inspectors.

According to Comelec Commissioner Christian Robert Lim, voters who will be within a 30-meter radius from polling precints at 4:30 p.m. will have to be allowed to vote even past 5 p.m.

“The rule that we always follow is that 30 minutes before closing time, the BEI will go around announcing that they are closing in 30 minutes. They have to inform the voters,” he said.

The concerned voters would then be given numbers by the BEI so they could still vote even beyond 5 p.m.

Lim added they are expecting a voter turnout of 75 percent, so of the 800 voters in each polling prcinct, actual voters could number 600.

Meanwhile, the Comelec said that each candidate and political party for national posts are entitled to an air time of 120 minutes of television advertising on “a per originating station basis, whether appearing on national, regional or local free or cable television” and 180 minutes of radio advertising on “a per originating station basis, whether airing on national, regional or local radio, whether by purchase or donation.”

Based on the rules and regulations of Republic Act 9006 or the Fair Elections Act, a candidate and political party for local positions have a total of 60 minutes of television advertising on “a per originating station basis whether appearing on national, regional or local, free or cable television and 90 minutes of radio advertising, on per originating station basis, whether airing on national, regional or local radio, whether by purchase or donation.”

For printed or published election propaganda, each candidate for national or local election posts are allowed one 1/4 page in broadsheets and 1/2 page in tabloids not more than three times a week.

“The cost of coordinated print advertisements shall be pro-rated among among each candidate, political party or party-list organization appearing in each advertisement, and shall be reported by them accordingly,” the rules showed.  

In Zamboanga City, Comelec officials have raised concern over the recent alleged electronic signal-jamming incident in the area that could affect the conduct of the coming automated elections.

Lerdo Matildo Jr., city election officer for District 2, said local poll officials have received reports regarding the incident last Jan. 12 when Rep. Celso Lobregat’s live broadcast on local television and radio was reportedly cut off briefly while he was delivering his speech during the annual state of the city report of Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar.

Matildo said they are validating the report before they raise the issue to the Regional Joint Security Control Center (RJSCC).