Bayan Muna party-list Rep Eufemia Cullamat and Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas said Thursday that the government should not use the COVID-19 crisis as an excuse to postpone the 2022 national elections.
"Hindi dapat gamitin ang pandemya bilang excuse na walang eleksyon magaganap ngayon 2022. Nagawa nga nilang ibukas ang Manila Bay para tingnan ng mga kababayan natin ang buhanging pinagkaperahan lang, ngayon ay mag-aalala sila na hindi ligtas ang pumunta sa mga presinto para bumoto? Kalokohan ito (The pandemic shouldn't be used as an excuse to have no elections this 2022. They managed to open Manila Bay so that people could see the white sand they made money from, and now they worry that it's not safe to go to polling precincts to vote? This is nonsense)," she said in a virtual press conference.
Aside from the artificial white beach on Manila Bay's Baywalk area, Cullamat noted that other public places and commercial establishments have been reopening slowly but surely.
"Niloloko lang tayo ng mga gustong magpasasa sa poder. Pati ang natitirang demokratikong kapangyarihan ng mamamayang Pilipino para maghalal ng mamumuno ay nais pang kunin sa atin. Hindi ito dapat payagan (We are being tricked by those who want to remain in power. They even want to take from Filipinos their remaining democratic power to elect their leaders. This must not be allowed)," she stressed.
Brosas, said the Sri Lanka, Belarus, Singapore, and South Korea have successfully held polls amid the pandemic.
"Ang United States na may mas mataas na COVID-19 death toll ay nakatakdang maglunsad ng presidential election sa darating na Nov. 3. Kaya wala tayong nakikitang obhektibong basehan para i-postpone ang eleksyon sa 2022 (The United States, which has a high COVID-19 death toll is set to conduct its presidential elections on November 3. As such, we see no objective basis to postpone the 2022 elections)," Brosas added.
Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo, during a briefing on the Commission on Elections proposed budget for 2021, urged the poll body to consider postponing the 2022 elections as voters are afraid of the COVID-19 pandemic.