Pagliban ng 2022 polls ‘unconstitutional’

LABAG sa 1987 Constitution ang pagpapaliban sa 2022 elections kaya malabong iutos ito ng Commission on Elections (Comelec).

“It doesn’t look like it’s going to have much of a chance. You’re basically saying ignore the Constitution,” ayon kay Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez kaugnay sa inihaing petisyon sa poll body para i-postpone ang halalan sa 2022 at gawin na lamang ito sa 2023 dahil sa umiiral na CoVid-19 pandemic.

Giit ni Jimenez, walang probisyon sa Saligang Batas para sa holdover para payagan ang incumbents na manatili sa puwesto kaya mababakante ang mga posisyon sa gobyerno mula sa pangulo hanggang sa iba pa.

Batay sa petisyon sa Comelec ng National Coalition for Life and Democracy (NLCD), grupo ng mga abogado, nangangamba sila sa talamak na paglabag sa health protocols ng mga kandidato sa malalaking pagtitipon sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng bansa ay magresulta sa panibagong CoVid-19 outbreak.

Nauna rito’y humirit ang NLCD kay Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte noong Agosto 2021 na i-postpone ang 2022 elections dahil sa pandemic

“NCLD, true to its advocacy, is extremely worried of the clear, present and imminent danger posed by this new variant. Transmission and infection could hardly be prevented specially with the rampant violation of health and safety protocols being committed by vote-buying politicians who in the pretext of helping the poor, engage in early vote-buying – in blatant violation of the Omnibus Election Code,” anang grupo.

“Television and social media show large crowds gathering in various parts of the country hoping to receive amounts from presidential, gubernatorial and mayoral candidates who in the guise of ‘meet and greet’ engage in open vote-buying, and in the process placing the life, health and safety of the poor and innocent in grave jeopardy. These politicians do not really care about the lives of the poor voters,” anang NLCD. (ROSE NOVENARIO)