A total of 927 Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) detained in various jail facilities across Negros Oriental have been cleared to vote in the May 12 midterm elections, according to the Commission on Elections-Negros Island Region.
Regional Election Director Lionel Marco Castillano said Wednesday that, unlike in previous elections, PDLs can now vote for both national and local candidates, provided they are registered in the areas where they are detained.
On election day, a special Board of Election Inspectors will be deployed to jail facilities to oversee the voting process.
“PDLs will use official ballots just like regular voters, but no automated counting machines will be placed inside jails,” Castillano said.
Instead, completed ballots will be collected, sealed in envelopes, and transported to designated voting precincts, where they will be officially registered and fed into the automated counting machines.
Castillano added that PDLs who were registered with Comelec before their detention would require a Court Order for escorted voting outside the jail.
According to the Bureau of Jail Management &Penology-Negros Oriental, as of Jan. 28, the 927 registered PDL voters are spread across several detention facilities: Bais City (107), Vallehermoso (66), Manjuyod (28), Dumaguete City Male Dorm (72), Canlaon City (51), Bayawan City (179), Guihulngan City (138), Mabinay (77), and Tanjay City (209).
BJMP-Negros Oriental Chief Administrator Chief Insp. Julia Sale noted that the number of eligible PDL voters could still change with new detainees or releases in the coming months.
Meanwhile, the Comelec has reached more or less 80 percent of the total number of registered voters in Negros Oriental in its ongoing automated counting machine roadshow and demonstration.
“We cannot possibly get a 100 percent reach in all the barangays of Negros Oriental as it is impossible due to safety reasons and other concerns but we are happy that a large number of registered voters have been educated on the use of the ACMs,” Castillano said.
He added that the Comelec has conducted the demo in almost every barangay or clustered barangays where it was warmly accepted by the people.
There are 978,643 registered voters in the 557 barangays of Negros Oriental.
Castillano said the roadshow/demo has also been brought to schools, government agencies, detention centers, and other institutions.
This was the first time that vote counting machines were brought to all the cities and municipalities in the province, allowing voters to familiarize themselves with the new ACM before the May 12 elections.
In the past, only two machines were deployed to the region for the Comelec’s one-month voters’ education campaign, Castillano noted. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)