By Azer Parrocha/Philippine News Agency
MANILA — The government is ready to serve over 60 million voters who will take part in the May 13 elections, Malacañang said on Tuesday.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the government preparation for the upcoming mid-term polls was among the topics discussed during Monday night’s Cabinet meeting, presided by President Rodrigo Duterte at the Malacañan Palace.
Panelo said the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are ready to secure the 2019 elections.
“Security forces are already deployed especially in election hot spots to prevent occurrence of any violence,” Panelo said.
AFP spokesperson, Marine Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo on Monday said the AFP will be deploying around 35,000 troops to support the PNP which is estimated to deploy around 143,000 police personnel tasked to secure the coming polls.
Meanwhile, Panelo said the Department of Energy (DOE) assured sufficient supply of power in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao amid concerns of power interruptions or rotational brownouts.
Last month, the DOE raised the possibility of power interruptions after yellow and red alerts have been issued anew for the Luzon grid due to non-functioning units of several power plants.
Malacañang has yet to issue a statement on whether the President is in favor of DOE’s proposal to extend the election holiday until May 14 to ensure efficient tallying of votes
The Department of Education (DepEd) informed the President that the teachers who will serve as precinct election inspectors on Election Day will receive honoraria and travel allowance, he said.
On the other hand, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is expecting a higher voter turnout for Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV).
Earlier, DFA Overseas Voting Secretariat vice chairman Ed Castro said OAV’s turnout of the 2019 senatorial elections will surpass the turnouts in the mid-term polls of 2007 and 2013.
Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesperson James Jimenez earlier said the commission is hoping the voter turnout to hit around 81 percent in the May 13 elections.
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