Another Covid-19 surge is feared to happen as health protocols are disregarded by the supporters of political bets in the May 2022 national and local elections.
Even some concerned citizens said Covid surge is not farfetched, such as criminology student Paul Francisco who observed that some people would join campaign rallies without the prescribed face masks.
Officials of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) earlier admitted that implementing the Commission on Election (Comelec) health protocol campaign guidelines is extremely difficult to enforce.
DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing stressed that only fully vaccinated individuals against Covid-19 are allowed to participate in election-related activities for the May 2022 local and national polls.
He noted that vaccinated or unvaccinated individuals may join outdoor election campaign activities provided that social distancing is followed as much as possible.
“Sa indoor (election) campaigns, kailangan fully vaccinated (persons) lamang ang makapsok. Maski sa Alert Level 1 (areas) (In indoor campaigns, only fully vaccinated individuals may enter),’’ Densing said.
“Sa Alert Level 1 (areas) pwede na ang (election) activities gusto lang siguraduhin na dapat pag indoor fully vaccinated (campaign participants) (In Alert Level 1, activities are allowed but will just have to ensure that all should be fully vaccinated for indoor. Even up to 100 percent capacity),’’ he added.
Based on the Comelec resolution, Densing clarified that there is no time limit on the campaign activities of the political aspirants except in areas where curfew hours are imposed.
He revealed that activities like night events, basketball tournaments, beauty contests and other similar events are allowed in Alert Level 1 areas during the election campaign period.
“Malinaw naman po sa ating mga panuntunan at ito po ang importansya ng sitwasyon natin ngayon na mababa na po ang ating mga kaso ng Covid19 all over the country so pinapayagan po yung mga ganung activities (The guidelines are clear and that is the importance of our situation now with the low Covid-19 cases all over the country so these activities are allowed),’’ Densing pointed out.
“May mga araw lang na bawal mangampanya, Holy Thursday and Good Friday bawal (There are days when campaigning if prohibited, Holy Thursday and Good Friday, it is not allowed),’’ Densing said.
“Kung kaya nilang mangampanya ng 24 by 7 di gawin po nila pero may mga araw lang na hindi pwedeng magkampanya kagaya po ng sa darating na Holy Thursday and Good Friday (If they can campaign 24 by seven they can do it but there are days when campaigning is prohibited like Holy Thursday and Good Friday),’’ he noted.
In the event of an ‘uptick’ in the number of Covid-19 cases and Alert Level, Densing explained that the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and the DILG may recommend to the Comelec to extend the time or days of the voting period. (Chito A. Chavez)