Zubiri: 46% of Filipinos Won't Vote if Pandemic Continues, Vaccination is Key

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri took to the Senate floor on Wednesday to disclose previously embargoed survey results in the June 2021 Ulat ng Bayan of Pulse Asia. He revealed that he had commissioned questions in the survey regarding the people's response to the country's vaccination program and the upcoming national elections.

Survey For the question "Kung mataas ang bilang ng kaso ng COVID-19 sa inyong lugar o barangay sa araw ng eleksyon sa Mayo 2022, kayo po ba ay lalabas at boboto o hindi?" the responses were: YES - 35 percent, NO - 46 percent, and DON'T KNOW - 19 percent.

"Hindi po natin sila masisisi kung ganun ang kanilang pangamba at posisyon. Mas mahalaga naman po talaga ang buhay kaysa sa pagboto," Zubiri acknowledged.

However, he also expressed alarm over the results, "Nakakatakot lang dahil posible pong ang mahahalal na mga lider ng bansa, magmula sa presidente hanggang sa konsehal, ay hindi man lamang nagmula sa boto ng mayorya ng mga botanteng Filipino."

"Hindi po natin nanaisin na mahalal sa ganyang kababa na voters turnout. Mahalaga po na ang magiging resulta ng eleksyon sa susunod na taon ay reflective of the true wishes of the electorate. Kung ano talaga ang pasya ng nakararaming botante, for it to become a credible election.

"Ihahalal po natin ang mamumuno sa pamahalaan sa susunod na anim na taon. Ang susunod na Presidente po ang magmamana ng mga problemang iiwan ng pandemyang ito, kaya't mahalaga po na ang mahalal ay ang pulso ng nakararaming Filipino."

Zubiri also revealed results regarding general attitudes to vaccination. On the primary reasons for refusing vaccination, he cited that an overwhelming 69 percent of respondents say that they are unsure of the vaccines' safety, with 12 percent believing that the vaccines might not be effective, and 11 percent saying that vaccines are not necessary.

Posed with the situation that vaccines are available, 43 percent of the respondents said that they are willing to get vaccinated, but 36 percent answered in the negative. The remaining 16 percent are undecided.

"My fear is that if we are unable to meet our target by the end of the year, this does not only pose a bigger threat to the health, safety and lives of our people, and our economy, but also to our electoral system," he said.

Solutions In case the pandemic persists until 2022, Zubiri raised some solutions to ensure the safe and effective conduct of the elections.

"The COMELEC should address the administrative problems and ensure that proper health protocols in the election sites are in place through issuance of resolutions such as practicing health protocols in the election sites, or by the passage of a law extending the period of election beyond one day to avoid over-crowding the polling precincts," he said.

"But the most important," he insisted, "is vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate."

"Bilang isa sa mga principal authors ng Republic Act No. 11525 or the COVID-19 Vaccination Law na nagbigay daan sa agarang pagbabakuna sa buong bansa, hinihiling ko po sa mga implementors ng vaccination program na bilis-bilisan at dagdagan ang bakunahan lalo na sa mga probinsya.

"Tanging bakuna lang po sa ngayon ang susi sa pagbangong muli ng ekonomiya, pagbabalik ng trabaho, at kalusugan ng ating mga kababayan. Hindi po tayo dapat tumigil hangga't ang bawat Pilipino ay mabakunahan.

"Huwag sana nating hayaang maidagdag pa ang pagkamatay ng ating demokrasya at right of suffrage sa mga biktima ng COVID-19. Dahil ang kinabukasan natin at ng mga susunod pang henerasyon ay nakasalalay sa mga iboboto natin sa susunod na taon at mamumuno sa ating bansa. Our right to vote is our hope."