The Commission on Elections (Comelec) clarified that negative COVID-19 results and vaccination cards are no longer required at polling precincts on Election Day.
Comelec Commissioner George Garcia, in a Sunday media forum, made the clarification after an old report saying voters are required to bring vaccination cards and wear face shields, circulated on social media
“Kapag po kayo hinanapan ng RT-PCR number one o kaya antigen test, hanapan niyo din po sila kung nasaan ang guidelines. Ibalik niyo po sa kanila ang katanungan,” Garcia said.
Garcia also clarified that voters who may be positive for COVID-19 will not be prohibited from voting as they will be placed at an isolation polling precinct.
“Yung mga COVID positive na hindi makalabas dahil sila mismo ay na-quarantine mismo ng LGU [local government unit] iyon po ay hindi namin ma-co-compel. Pero kung makalabas, kung ano man ang dahilan kung paano at bakit nakalabas makakaboto at makakaboto po iyon,” Garcia added.
In preparation for the elections, Comelec has performed their first ever walkthrough with the data servers that will be used on May 9. This was to make sure that the 2019 Elections “seven-hour glitch” will not happen again.
“Kasi po ‘yung 2019, sa totoo lang ‘yung problem doon is i-reboot mo lang ‘yung system. Once reboot gagana ulit ‘yun kaya lng tumagal kas we need the approval of the en banc,” Garcia said.
“So magpapalabas kami ng resolution na kapag mga simple contingency procedures pwede na po ‘yung ating head ng technology group.” -Report from Karen Joyce Villanda/VC – gb
