The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has expressed readiness to conduct the March 13 Palawan Plebiscite.
"It's all systems go for this plebiscite… Our people all over Palawan are ready to conduct this plebiscite," Comelec Commissioner Antonio Kho said in a press briefing in Puerto Princesa City, Thursday, March 11.
Deputy Executive Director for Operations Teopisto Elnas said except those for the Kalayaan Islands, all election paraphernalia have been deployed to the municipalities.
"For the Kalayaan Islands, our deployment was stalled because of the weather situation," he said.
Far-flung polling precincts are also set to receive their election paraphernalia, Friday.
"Starting tomorrow (March 12), there will be an advance delivery in the far flung barangays," Palawan Election Supervisor Urbano Arlando said.
Koh, meantime, appealed to voters to already know their precinct ahead of time.
"Know your precinct to speed up the process of voting," he said.
Nearly 500,000 voters are expected to cast their vote in a total of 2,959 clustered precincts on March 13.
The poll body originally scheduled the conduct of the plebiscite to ratify the division of the province of Palawan into Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental, and Palawan del Sur on May 11, 2020 in accordance to Republic Act No. 11259 which provides that the plebiscite should be held on the second Monday of May 2020.
In April 2020, the Comelec suspended the May 11 plebiscite due to the pandemic and the Enhanced Community Quarantine in Luzon.