MANILA, Philippines – In her first public appearance since ascending to the top post of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), new acting Comelec Chairperson Socorro Inting appealed to the public to participate in the 2022 polls, the country’s first nationwide electoral exercise to be conducted in the middle of a pandemic.

Inting led the poll body’s signing of a memorandum of agreement with the non-profit group Vote Pilipinas, for projects which she said will make voter participation in the May polls much easier.

“Your efforts to register do not have a point if you will not vote. Let us vote on May 9. This process is easy, and was made easier by the Comelec and Vote Pilipinas,” Inting said in Filipino during an in-person event on Wednesday, February 16.

Over 67 million people are eligible to cast their ballots in the 2022 elections. While the Comelec did not indicate a specific voter turnout, it will be reminded of the 2019 elections, when 75.9% or 46.9 million of the 61.8 million registered Filipinos went out to cast their ballots.

“Our signatures to this MOA signify our commission’s openness and commitment to working with other non-profit and non-partisan organizations, election stakeholders, and individuals who are united in the common goals of increasing voter awareness and voter turnout in the coming elections,” Inting added.

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Aside from Inting, Commissioner Aimee Ferolino and Comelec spokesman James Jimenez also signed the MOA from the side of the poll body; Ces Rondario and Larence Libo-on represented Vote Pilipinas.

‘Vote Pilipinas’

Rondario said Voter Pilipinas started when she realized after the 2019 midterm polls that 70% of her team in an earlier company were not registered voters.

“I said, what do we do to get people to have no choice but to register? And hence, Vote Pilipinas was formed,” Rondario recalled.

Now that the campaign season has started, Voter Pilipinas is focused on launching on February 28 a candidate profile dashboard on its website, complete with comprehensive information about candidates.

The group also plans to conduct a nationwide caravan to reach voters, and a #BumotoKa webinar series, where Filipinos can have an avenue to discuss election issues.

One of the pressing challenges for the Comelec is to encourage Filipinos to go out and vote in May despite the threat of COVID-19.

A survey back in June 2021 showed nearly half of Filipinos were unwilling to participate in the elections on May 9 should their barangays log a high number of COVID-19 cases at the time.

In response, the poll body said it “remains confident of a sizable voter turnout despite COVID-19 fears.” – Rappler.com