Region 8 voters troop to polling centers early

TACLOBAN CITY, May 9 (PNA) – Most of the 2.69 million voters in Eastern Visayas trooped to voting centers early Monday morning in order to avoid long queues and hot weather.

Officials of the Commission on Elections in different areas of the region confirmed that many voters have started outside polling centers even before the voting opened at 6:00 a.m.

University of the Philippines Tacloban political science professor Ladylyn Lim-Mangada said early voting could be one of the impacts of climate change.

“People are aware that it would be very hot outside voting centers waiting for their turn to votes. They also came early as they expect that voting using vote counting machine is more complicated,” Mangada said.

Senior Citizens and persons with disabilities were prioritized during the voting just like Felix Llames, 64 of Sagkahan village in Carigara, Leyte, who is suffering vision loss.

“Despite my visual impairment, I always assert my right to vote just like a normal person since I was 18,” said Llames, who was assisted by his son.

Leonel Permejo, Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) volunteer in Sta Fe, Leyte was among the first to vote in Monday's polls.

A first time voter, Permejo said that aside from excitement to vote, he is also overwhelmed in helping the PPCRV to ensure that this year's election is peaceful, secure and orderly. "I am voting because as a Filipino we need to vote for change of governance," Permejo said.

More than 7,000 personnel from the Philippine National Police provides security to polling precincts while members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines are assigned in strategic areas as augmentation force.

The region has 17,262 members of the Board of Election Inspectors to facilitate the voting process and operate the 5,754 vote counting machines.

Eastern Visayas region has 2,698,880 registered voters with Leyte having the most number of voters among the six provinces at 1,151,497.

The remaining voters are in Samar (490,421), Northern Samar (386,163), Eastern Samar (300,818), Southern Leyte (261,418), and Biliran (108,833).

Voters will troop to polling centers on Monday to fill in the 1,454 seats being aspired by 3,436 local candidates. (PNA)
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