300 cops vote in Cebu on Day 1 of absentee voting

CEBU, Philippines —  At least 300 policemen from Cebu City voted at the Abellana National School on the first day of absentee voting on Wednesday, April 27, 2022.

Up to 1,751 from different stations and units in Cebu are expected to cast their ballots.

"For Cebu City alone, we have 458 nga mga personnel na dapat mu-vote gyud sila because it is a requirement for the PNP nga dapat maka-vote gyud sila, whether absentee voting… or mu-vote sila on the regular day sa election," said Lt. Colonel Wilbert Parilla, Deputy City Director for Operations of the Cebu City Police Office.

Cops are afforded the absentee voting privilege since they are may not be able to vote on election day, as they may be assigned in other areas to secure the elections.

“During the day of the election, dili gyud sila makabalik sa ilang lugar kung asa sila narehistro, that's why they are required to avail of the absentee voting," Parilla said.

Police personnel are scheduled to vote on a particular day and the 1,751 cops were divided into four groups assigned to vote either morning or afternoon during the two-day absentee voting.

Among those who cast their votes was Corporal Glen Bordalba who said he values his right to vote.

"Ni-avail ko’s absentee voting kay kasagaran atong mga nangagi’ng election, nalabay man gud ko, nya sa pagkakaron, lahi naman gud ron, kung kinsa tong mga regular, maoy ibutang sad didto kung asa sila mo-botar," he said.

Marilou Paredes, election officer of Cebu City’s South District, said the absentee voting among cops Wednesday went smoothly.

“Orderly ang process sa PNP unya naa nay daghang ni-vote. Kaning mostly PNP kay nadestino man ni sila sa dili nila lugar nga narehistro and ni-avail absentee voting,” she said.

Those availing of the absentee voting privilege are allowed to vote only for national positions.

“Mubotar sila up to the national positions only… kutob lang sila sa partylist,” Paredes said.

Ballots of absentee voters will be counted manually in Manila.

“Their ballots will be transported to Manila and manually counted,” Paredes said.

Absentee voting allows select Filipinos to vote ahead of the elections and even in places they are not originally registered. However, they needed to apply ahead before being allowed to do so.

It can be availed of by members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) who will be assigned to perform election duties in places along with government officials and employees, including those who will be assigned abroad to perform election duties.

Media practitioners who will not be able to vote on May 9, 2022 because they are covering the conduct of elections may also avail of absentee voting.

COMELEC earlier reported having approved over 84 thousand applications for absentee voting.

Execution Phase

Meanwhile, the Regional Director of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-7, Roque Eduardo Vega, said they are now in the 'execution phase' of security plans for the May polls.

"Meron tayong simultaneous physical readiness test and dispatch ceremony… ito yung for the election… we are maximizing the use of our personnel, ating logistics… we are preparing them," Vega said.

He assured the public anew that the whole Central Visayas law enforcement force is prepared to make the elections peaceful and orderly. – Caecent No-ot Magsumbol and Decemay P. Padilla, JMO (FREEMAN)