RECTO URGES COMELEC TO TAKE CARE
OF HANDICAPPED, ELDERLY VOTERS

Senator Ralph Recto has urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to step up preparations to ensure that all voters who are differently abled would cast their ballots in the May 14 elections.

Recto issued the call on Saturday upon being apprised of the problems faced by Filipino voters who have difficulty in walking or have poor eyesight or could totally not see.

Others who may problems in finding their polling precincts are those who are hard of hearing and could not vocalize, according to the senator from Southern Luzon.

Recto explained that the Comelec en banc earlier gave due recognition to the problems faced by differently abled voters and decided on March 6, 2007 to amend Comelec Resolution No. 7615 promulgated on Jaunary 26, 2007.

Resolution No. 7615 covered the provision of polling precincts for handicapped voters but did not specifically directed the establishment of special polling places at the ground floors of public buildings for the May 14 elections.

The amendment was prompted by the suggestions contained in a memorandum written by Education and Information Division director James Jimenez, who said that the Comelec should establish special polling places or precincts at the ground floors of buildings to be used as voting centers.

This amendment was approved by the Comelec en banc led by Chairman Benjamin Abalos and Commissioners Resurrecccion Z. Borra, Florentino A. Tuason Jr., Romeo A. Brawner, Rene V. Sarmiento and Nicodemo T. Ferrer.

Jimenez's suggestion was that all precincts with differently abled voters should be located on the ground floors of polling centers.

The suggestion was carried by all the commissioners who realized that not only the differently but also the elderly would have a tough time to cast their ballots if the precincts are not situated on ground floors.

Comelec amended Sec. 32 of Resolution No. 7615 to read as follows: "Sec. 32. Accessibility of polling place to elderly and physically disabled voters--- The election officers, in coordination with the proper school or building officials, shall see to it that special polling places be designated at the ground floors of polling centers for the purpose of giving easy and convenient access to elderly and physically disabled voters."

"The amendment of the resolution would surely be a welcome relief to hundreds of thousands of our voters who would now be able to vote without negotiating flights or stairs. Since most public buildings have no escalators, the move is a correct one. I guess this resolution would make the exercise of suffrage for them easy as chicken pie," Recto said.