Palace enjoins Filipinos to vote in mid-term polls

MANILA — Malacañang on Friday urged Filipinos to exercise their right to vote in Monday’s mid-term elections.

“We enjoin all Filipinos who are eligible to vote to participate in this healthy democratic exercise as we call on all candidates across the political spectrum to ask their supporters to observe an honest, orderly, peaceful and credible elections reflective of the people’s genuine will,” said Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo in a statement.

Panelo said participating in the elections is the strongest citizen action in a democracy.

“The practice of the sacred right of suffrage is the strongest form of action an individual can perform in a democratic society. This is the only time that the rich and poor alike as well as the powerful and the weak will have equal value in the weighing scale as regards their vote. Any hindrance or manipulation of the right to vote is a lethal attack against the very heart of our country’s democracy,” he said.

Panelo reiterated President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s commitment for a clean and honest conduct of elections.

“Concerns and apprehensions have been raised by various quarters relative to the conduct of the coming elections. The President has put in place measures designed to determine if cheating has been committed in the polls. We are thus issuing a stern warning to those who have sinister plans and evil machinations of thwarting the will of the electorate to abandon them,” he said.

“Any violator will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. No one will be spared regardless of their political affiliation or station in life,” he added.

Panelo also called on all candidates to participate in ensuring the clean and honest conduct of polls.

“We wish the candidates all the best. This is the time to show our Filipino bayanihan spirit in ensuring that the elections will be held without any major glitches and will reflect the true desires of the Filipino people,” he said.

Panelo said 36,000 schools are now ready to be used as polling precincts and 230,000 teachers will be members of the Electoral Boards and technical support for Monday’s elections, as per the Department of Education.

He added that the Philippine National Police (PNP) will deploy 150,000 police personnel in various parts of the country to ensure public safety and security on Election Day.

Panelo said the PNP launched the National Election Monitoring Action Center to monitor situations in all polling centers from Camp Crame, including the arrival of vote counting machines (VCMs), counting of ballots, and delivery of ballot boxes.

Panelo added that the Department of Energy assured that there will be stable power on the day of the elections.