Panayam kay Dir. John Rex Laudiangco ng Commission on Elections
Panayam kay Dir. John Rex Laudiangco ng Commission on Elections
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00:00 Initial assessment and other updates on the upcoming barangay and youth elections.
00:05 We will discuss this with Director John Rex Laudianco,
00:09 the spokesperson of the Commission on Elections or COMELEC.
00:12 Director Laudianco, good afternoon.
00:15 Good afternoon to all of our viewers of the program on Bumundung. Good afternoon.
00:21 For now, Director, how are the barangay and SK elections being held?
00:27 How is the voter turnout so far?
00:30 We haven't had a formal vote yet.
00:34 Based on the reports from our field offices,
00:37 the voter turnout is high and our countrymen went to their districts and schools early.
00:43 We also saw this in our pilot testing of early voting
00:48 here in Laga City and in Muntinlupa City where our senior citizens,
00:53 PWDs and pregnant women were given the chance between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. to vote exclusively for them.
01:00 The situation is the same in 11 malls, 6 SM Supermalls and 5 Robinsons Malls,
01:06 where we conducted the pilot testing of mall voting.
01:10 Many voters went to the mall early before 7 p.m.
01:14 We were excited and happy because of the success of this pilot testing.
01:19 You can expect that in 2025, if there's no early voting law,
01:24 we will continue to conduct early voting hours in the entire Philippines.
01:28 Second, in our mall voting, we will help other mall partners
01:36 because all of these are at no cost to the government.
01:40 They are all our partners and we are spending all of our money to conduct our mall voting.
01:47 Director Laudianco, this is Chipoy.
01:49 In the precincts of automated barangays and in the early elections,
01:54 what are the updates on the automated elections that are being conducted now?
01:58 Are there any reports that you are receiving regarding the performance of our vote counting machines, sir?
02:04 The performance of our vote counting machine is good because this is the latest in the inventory of the coverage that we used.
02:12 Although there were some errors in the final testing and sealing,
02:15 we hope that it will not be delayed because we have a lot of machines that are ready.
02:21 If there's a small problem, there will be an overhanging and we will replace it with a new machine.
02:26 As of now, we have not received any reports from our barangay.
02:29 In the three barangays, Paliparan, Tres, Poblacion 2 in Dasmarina City and Pasong Tamo in Quezon City 66,
02:36 the number of votes is continuous and the number of people who came is high.
02:40 We hope that our fellow citizens will continue to vote before the last hour reaches 3 p.m.
02:46 Director, just like here in Pasong Tamo, Quezon City,
02:50 there is an accessible polling place for senior citizens and PWDs.
02:55 Is there something like this in all precincts, Director?
02:58 Not all, ma'am. This is how we will build the emergency accessible polling place.
03:04 As much as possible, all precincts that have registered PWDs and senior citizens will be placed on the ground floor of the school.
03:13 However, there are schools that lack ground floors so there is no choice but to put them on the second or third floor if the ground floor is there.
03:22 In this case, if there is a place to put them on the second or third floor, the permanent will be placed in a room on the ground floor of the EATP,
03:31 where our voters, senior citizens, PWDs and pregnant women do not have to go up to their precincts on the second or third floor.
03:38 They will be placed on the EATP on the ground floor. Our teachers and watchers will get their ballot box from their precincts,
03:45 will bring it to the EATP where they will vote and make sure that their ballot box will be dropped from their precincts.
03:53 Watchers and teachers are under guard and all of this is recorded in the minutes of voting.
03:59 Director, you're saying that not all precincts have special rooms or there is a special room for senior citizens or PWDs.
04:10 What is your advice to senior citizens and PWDs because some do not know where they will go and they are lining up despite their age or situation?
04:22 First of all, the school, the schools that have a complete room on the ground floor where all precincts can accommodate,
04:31 we do not need to place them on the EATP. We are placing them in a small school that cannot accommodate all precincts of senior citizens, PWDs and pregnant women on the ground floor.
04:43 We are reminding our countrymen, seniors, PWDs and persons with disabilities to be aware of the voter assistance test of our TPCRB,
04:53 where they will guide you. We will know if your precinct is on the second floor.
04:58 In that case, we will teach you the EATP on the ground floor and you will go there.
05:04 Don't be shy to ask questions because we will take care of this for you. Also, if you are on the ground floor of a precinct, we have already placed you there.
05:14 You don't need to go to the EATP. You should not introduce yourself as a senior citizen.
05:19 You can see the persons with disabilities. You can expect to be prioritized and you will be the first in line because you are included in our vulnerable sector.
05:30 To our countrymen, to our vulnerable sector, I hope we understand that this assistance is needed by our vulnerable sector because of their situation,
05:41 their age, the way they treat people and their disabilities. I hope we will help them to be the first in line so that they can be protected in their voting.
05:52 Director, ABRA is considered a flashpoint area that will be a good example of a peaceful election.
06:00 How is the voting situation in ABRA now? What were the results of your report?
06:06 The situation in ABRA is good now because of the number of police and soldiers.
06:13 The Coast Guard that was deployed by the Cominex in Laloigan is hoping to continue in the afternoon and the near future.
06:21 Until the election is over, the election will remain silent and peaceful.
06:25 We will fight for the majority of the votes.
06:30 We are also expecting Chairman Garcia, along with Chief PNP General Acorda and Commissioner Bulay, who is the commissioner in charge of BSKE yesterday,
06:41 to come to the area. We gave three messages. First, assurance to our citizens that the Cominex, PNP-A and Coast Guard are here to ensure their peace and safety.
06:52 Second, this is also an assurance for them to be strong, to go out of their homes, to vote, to go to the schools and to get their votes.
07:00 If assistance and assistance is needed, the forces of the government and Cominex will be there to help.
07:07 But the biggest message in the visit of Chairman Garcia and General Acorda in ABRA is a warning to our politicians, candidates and to some people who are planning to attack the streets.
07:20 Our forces will not hesitate to arrest you, to file a case and to ensure that you will be disqualified and will be jailed for violating the law.
07:31 Okay. Do you have any reports that you are receiving from the candidates who are carrying out campaign flyers or vote buying in the precincts and other places?
07:44 We still have it and we are reporting it to our task force, Anti-Epal. We are logging it as illegal campaigning.
07:53 You can expect that through the evidence that we will send to their headquarters, we will file a petition for disqualification before they are proclaimed.
08:04 If they are proclaimed, we will continue filing election offense cases, which is a prison sentence of one to six years, removal of voting rights and perpetual disqualification of vote office.
08:18 As a reminder, not only the candidates will be prosecuted, but anyone who violates illegal campaigning rules.
08:29 Okay Director. Two people were killed in a shooting incident in Lanao del Sur before the time of voting. What is the update on this Director?
08:37 That's right. In the voting in Lanao del Sur, there were two people who were just shooting. One of them died. Our PNP and AP were immediately stopped and pacified.
08:52 The other two people were arrested. The second incident was here in Dato' Odinson, Suat, where a group was also shot. They were immediately arrested and are currently being prosecuted by our PNP and AP.
09:09 Again, here in Dato' Odinson, Suat, there were 50 adults with heavy guns who were trying to enter the school. They were not able to do their plan because they were already arrested and are currently being prosecuted for filing a case.
09:26 When is the proclamation of the winning candidates expected Director?
09:31 For the small barangay, we expect that after the election, the counting will continue until 6 p.m. and not until 10 p.m. or 12 p.m. in this small barangay,
09:44 the candlessing will be over and we will be able to go home to the proclamation of the winning candidates who received the most votes.
09:52 But we expect the big barangays, which have more than 40,000 registered voters, and there are 96,000 plus in one barangay,
10:03 we expect that tomorrow morning until tomorrow afternoon, they will be able to finish the process of the election. And all the barangays, we expect that after the counting, the candless and the proclamation of the winning candidates, tomorrow, October 31, 2023.
10:22 We will know tomorrow. Okay, please send a message to our fellow countrymen who are watching our program.
10:32 To our countrymen, there are three hours left to use our power and fulfill the obligation of voting.
10:41 And I would like to repeat, you will vote the candidate you know how to follow the law.
10:49 Let us remember that all actions in our barangay have an impact on our ordinary and everyday life in our community.
10:57 From the fight of our neighbors, to the parking, road construction, the lack of dogs, to the fire, medical, police, all are involved in our barangay.
11:06 We saw this during the two years of lockdown in the pandemic, how important the barangay is.
11:11 That's why we will make sure that the right people are voted because if you don't want to experience the hardship that we have brought to the hands of those who will not be good leaders,
11:20 it is time to vote the right people in your place.
11:24 Thank you very much for your time, Director John Rex Laudianco, the Speaker of the Commission on Elections or COMELEG.