The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to hold a special election in Shanghai, China after Filipino voters there failed to cast their ballots due to the ongoing lockdown caused by a Covid-19 outbreak.
“We will be setting a special elections there,” Comelec Acting Spokesperson John Rex C. Laudiangco assured during a press briefing on Friday, May 13.
“Tandaan ninyo ang goal ng Comelec is not to disenfranchise any voter (Remember the goal of the Comelec is not to disenfranchise any voter),” the lawyer added.
Laudiangco noted that Shanghai has 1,991 registered overseas Filipino voters.
The spokesperson admitted the situation in Shanghai is causing a delay in the completion in the transmission of all of the certificates of canvass (COCs) for overseas absentee voting.
“Out of the 26 electronically generated COCs, na-receive na po nila 25 (the Comelec has received 25). There is only one remaining overseas COC that has yet to be received and that is Hong Kong,” he said.
The lawyer explained the Hong Kong COC consist of Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China which includes Shanghai.
To address the problem, Laudiangco said the Comelec en banc might issue a resolution that would have Hong Kong generate the COC and no longer wait for Shanghai.