Ensure orderly voting of PDLs under BJMP- Iral
By Chito Chavez
Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Director Allan Iral ordered his men on Sunday, May 8, to ensure a trouble-free conduct of the onsite and offsite elections for its registered persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in the May 9 polls.
A total of 33,409 BJMP supervised PDLs are expected to cast their votes both in and outside the jails facilities.
“Siguruhin natin na magiging maayos ang pagboto ng ating mga PDL at wala tayong anumang insidente sa ating mga pasilidad (Let us make sure that our PDL’s voting process is orderly without any untoward incidents in our facilities),’’ Iral said.
A simulation exercise of the voting process was held at Manila City Jail – Male Dormitory on May 8 where Iral stressed ‘significance of PDL right to vote while ensuring the safe conduct of elections.’
In the same event, BJMP spokesperson Jail Supt. Xavier Solda announced that 29,534 male PDLs and 3,875 female PDLs are ‘qualified to avail of Detainee Voting this year.’
He said that this is equivalent to 39.2 percent of the 131, 021 jail population in the 475 district, city, and municipal jails nationwide.
“The 30, 726 PDLs will vote onsite and 2, 683 will vote offsite.’’ Solda said.
Among the jail facilities with the highest number of PDL voters this year are Cebu City Jail – Male Dormitory with 1,102 PDLs, Talisay City Jail – Male Dormitory with 878 PDLs, Lapu-lapu City Jail – Male Dormitory with 701 PDLs, Antipolo City Jail – Male Dormitory with 576 PDLs, and Bacoor City Jail – Male Dormitory with 534 PDLs.
Solda clarified that the BJMP manned PDL voters are only allowed to vote for the president, vice-president, senators, and party-list groups which are all national elective posts.
On March 9, 2022, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) passed Resolution No. 10768 prescribing general instructions on PDL voting.
The resolution states that PDL voting may be availed of/ by a PDL voter either through special polling established inside a jail facility or escorted voting in a regular polling place.
Onsite voting in PDL Special Polling Place
Solda explained that only PDL voters whose names appear in the election day certified voters’ list for PDL Voters (EDCVL-PDL) and/or posted computerized voters list for PDL voters (PCVL-PDL) may vote in the PDL Special Polling Place (PDL-SPP) in the BJMP jails facilities.
Each PDL-SPP shall accommodate between 50 to 100 PDL voters.
“One PDL-SPP shall be established for every additional one hundred PDL voters. The voting in the PDL-SPP shall be from 6am to 2pm only,’’ the BJMP statement read.
Considering the strict implementation of the Covid-19 protocols in the BJMP jails, Solda said that the medical personnel shall be assigned at the entrance of all PDL-SPPs to check the temperature of the PDL voters before being allowed entry in the PDL-SPP.
“PDL voters with a temperature above 37.4 °C or exhibiting any symptoms of Covid-19 shall not be allowed to enter the PDL-SPP, but instead, shall be referred to an Isolation Polling Place (IPP) established inside the jail facility where he or she shall vote. If there is a clinic inside the jail facility, the IPP shall be established therein,’’ he added.
Escorted PDL Voters
Solda noted that only PDL voters who have been issued a court order allowing them to vote in the polling place where their precinct is assigned on the election day shall be escorted to vote.
Upon reaching the polling place, Solda explained that the security escort, together with the PDL voter, shall inform the support staff or the Electoral Board member that the PDL will vote and request that the latter be placed in the express lane and be given priority to vote.
“To secure the PDL voter, BJMP escorts may bring firearms inside the polling place. Said escorts and PDL shall leave the polling place once the latter has finished voting and immediately return to the jail facility without any diversions,’’ the BJMP added.
BJMP “Tutok Halalan”
Earlier, the BJMP reactivated its Task Force “Tutok Halalan” to address regional concerns on a real-time basis to generate reports to the Comelec.
This is the fifth time that the BJMP PDLs are given the privilege to exercise their right to suffrage.
Solda maintained that the BJMP pledged to uphold the rights of the PDLs and ensure a clean, honest and peaceful election under its command. (Chito A. Chavez)