Is it sensible to still hold the elections in the Philippines during a pandemic?

[ASEAN NOW News]

The Philippines will soon conduct one of Asia’s largest elections in 2022. One expert says the campaign period is beginning to look like a “public health nightmare.”

 

As the election season heats up, candidates tour the nation, wooing voters in a country spread across more than 7,000 islands, in a desperate attempt to secure votes before election day.

 

file photo

 

Tens of thousands of people are being encouraged to attend mass rallies to support their preferred presidential and vice-presidential candidates, as the Philippines start the campaign period leading to national elections in May.

 

Candidates have formally launched the race to replace President Rodrigo Duterte, whose six-year term will end in June this year.

 

Presidential and vice-presidential hopefuls, together with their senatorial slates, are running around the country drawing large crowds of supporters.

 

With a record-breaking 65.7 million registered voters, the Philippines will hold one of the largest elections in Asia on May 9 even as the COVID-19 pandemic stretches into its third year.

 

A total of 18,100 positions, from the president and vice president down to city board member positions, are up for grabs. Millions of voters will leave their homes in 106,174 clustered precincts to cast ballots at 37,141 voting centers across the country. 

 

Learning from the experience of other countries that held elections during the pandemic, the Philippines can safely hold its national election.

 

But this pivotal democratic exercise must be done with extra caution to ensure that voters are safe and will not be disenfranchised if the coronavirus wreaks havoc in the country. 

 

Huge rallies

 

This Sunday, thousands of residents here gathered to show their all-out support to the UniTeam presidential-vice presidential tandem of former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

 

Recently at the prime tourist destination of Boracay Island, opposition Vice President Leni Robredo made a stop to have a dialogue with residents and tourists alike.

 

Wearing pink shirts and masks, Robredo’s supporters gave her a rock star reception in a simple event organized by volunteers near the island’s famous white sandy beach.

 

Attendees were organized at first, but protocols were neglected as soon the event ended and everyone attempted to get as close as possible to Robredo.

 

Serious lack of physical distancing

 

Scenes of huge crowds are repeated each day as candidates make the most out of their limited time to campaign.

 

Often, physical distancing, mask-wearing, and the prohibition on taking selfies to avoid close contact are violated by candidates and their supporters, across all political camps.

 

The lack of physical distancing, the cheering, and people pulling down their masks are beginning to look like a “public health nightmare,” Dr. Albert Domingo, health systems specialist and public health consultant said recently.

 

“It’s concerning that candidates are going around the country and they’re actually organizing super spreader events and rallies,” Domingo said.

 

Looks like we should be prepared for another spike in Covid cases?

 

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