800 PDLs in city to cast votes on May 13

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

AROUND 800 persons deprived of liberty (PDL) in Iloilo City will cast their ballots in the May 13, 2019 local and national elections.

Atty. Mavil Majarucon-Sia, Iloilo City Elections Officer, said they will assist the PDLs from the two district jail facilities of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Ungka, Jaro and General Luna Street.

“We already coordinated with the BJMP male and female dormitories. There will be two clustered precincts in the female dormitory and six in the male dormitories,” Sia said in an interview on Thursday.

Sia said they will appoint a special election board (EB) and support staff for the clustered precincts to assist the inmates and secure the official ballots.

“Ang set-up, may gin-appoint ta nga special EB, and as well as support staff wherein ang ila obligation is to go to the regular precincts sa mga BJMP kag kuhaon ila balota and after that ibalik sa mga regular precincts para mascan sang Vote Counting Machines (VCMs),” he said.

The PDLs may cast their votes starting 6 a.m., just like regular voters, but voting will end at 2 p.m.

The official voting of the 388 clustered precincts in Iloilo City will start at 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.