Comelec: Fire-razed school in Abra to host makeshift voting center for nearly 1,000 voters

MANILA, Philippines — A fire razed most of Dangdangla Elementary School in Bangued, Abra on Wednesday morning, May 7, just days before it was set to serve as a polling center for the May 12 elections.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said the blaze destroyed 70% of the voting center, particularly the school’s main building. The site was designated for a single clustered precinct with 992 registered voters.

While two buildings on the school grounds were left unscathed and will be used for administrative tasks, holding, and storage, Comelec Chair George Garcia said voting will still take place at the same location.

“Hindi kami magpapatakot kung ‘yan man ay intentional. They will still vote in that particular place para makita ng mga kababayan natin habang sila ay bumoboto, ginawang abo ang mismong lugar kung saan nag-aaral ang mga kabataan, anak at mga apo ninyo,” he added.

(We will not be intimidated, even if this was intentional. They will still vote in that particular place so our fellow citizens can see them casting their votes, right where the school, where your children and grandchildren study,  turned to ashes.)

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined. Authorities, however, have not ruled out the possibility of arson, especially given how close the fire broke out to election day on May 12.

Despite an earlier recommendation by the local election officer to move the voting center to a safer site where the lone vote-counting machine (VCM) would be delivered, Garcia said the Comelec would instead build a makeshift polling place at the same location in line with its continuity contingency plan.

“We will not move the polling place," he said. "Even if the entire school burned down, we will build a makeshift in that place.”

Garcia added that final testing and sealing of the VCM would still proceed on Wednesday inside one of the two unaffected rooms, once electricity is restored and the Bureau of Fire Protection deems the area safe.

As of writing, Comelec said there are no plans to place Abra under its control despite recent reports of gun-related violence in the province.

The voting schedule for May 12 is as follows:

• 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. – Early voting for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women
• 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. – Regular voting hours for all other voters

Comelec assured that vulnerable and marginalized voters will still be given priority even during regular voting hours.