Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Tuesday, August 2, visited the main office of the poll body in Intramuros, Manila to conduct an inspection following Sunday's fire incident.
Comelec Acting Chairperson John Rex Laudiangco said the newly appointed poll chief particularly inspected the 7th Floor of the Palacio del Gobernador Bldg., personally witnessing for himself the limited fire damage confined to the reception area of the Information Technology Department (ITD).
He said the Chairman also inspected the entire premises of the ITD, the neighboring offices of the Executive Director (OED), Deputy Executive Directors for Operations and Administration (ODEDO and ODEDA), and for the Overseas Voting (OFOV), as well as the Election and Barangay Affairs Department (EBAD).
The poll body already said that its servers, secured vaults, election results and data are are safe, intact, undamaged and unaffected by the fire.
Laudiangco said in the said inspection of premises which include the Comelec's Annex Building housing the Election Records and Statistics Department (ERSD), Health Services Division (Clinic) and Cash Division, the poll chief also manifested several improvements to be made to enhance occupational health and safety, and make the main office more accessible to the public.
Chairman Garcia, he said, also bared plans to have dedicated media representatives’ presence to amplify his transparency and credibility policies, and additionally improve ITD premises to international industry standards.
To allow the mandatory electrical and structural inspection of the Palacio del Gobernador Bldg., and to afford maintenance personnel sufficient time to fully restore electrical power to the building and dissipate the still apparent odor of smoke which is harmful to health, Laudiangco said, Chairman Garcia recommended to the Executive Director the continuation of the work-from-home status on August 3, 2022, of all officials and employees whose offices and departments were directly affected by the current situation, strictly maintaining a skeleton-work-force to ensure the the unimpeded operational and administrative functions of the Commission.
"This recommendation was likewise given in particular humanitarian consideration of the elderly, senior citizens, persons with disability, heavily pregnant and other vulnerable sectors inclusively employed by the Comelec, who all require elevator services which has yet to be made operational at this time," he said.