PNP: Senior citizen dies of heart attack after casting vote in Albay
An elderly voter who collapsed after casting his vote in Oas, Albay died on election day, May 12, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported.
The Police Regional Office in Bicol (PRO-5) identified the fatality as Nestor Rensales, 65.
Rensales had just finished casting his vote around 6:05 a.m. inside a polling precinct at the Oas South Central School in Barangay Ilaor Sur when he fainted.
“Na-heart attack po ‘yung 65-year-old kaninang 6:05 a.m. after ng casting ng vote niya (The 65-year-old man suffered from heart attack around 6:05 a.m. right after he cast his vote),” Police Lt. Col. Maria Luisa Calubaquib, spokesperson of PRO-5, said in a press briefing at the PNP monitoring center in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
On-site medical personnel from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) immediately administered first aid to Rensales before he was rushed to Josefina Belmonte Duran Albay Provincial Hospital in Ligao City.
He, however, was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) allowed vulnerable sectors such as senior citizens, persons with disability (PWDs), and pregnant women to vote as early as 5 a.m. ahead of the 7 a.m. regular voting hours.
However, some voters complained of extreme heat in various polling centers nationwide, making the voting process difficult for them.