• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
More than two weeks before the May 12 elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Negros Occidental is in full swing in the preparations of polling centers for the 12,479 voters affected by the eruption of Kanlaon Volcano, which is currently under Alert Level 3.
This was after the Office of Civil Defense ruled out the return of the affected residents to their respective areas of residence to cast their votes.
In a Comelec report, Provincial Election Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria said on Thursday (April 24) that Ramon Torres Louisiana National High School in Barangay Ma-ao, Bago City will be the proposed alternative voting center for 2,102 voters of Barangay Ilijan.
The 781 voters of barangays Ara-al and Yubo in La Carlota City will still vote at their original voting centers, Ara-al and Yubo Elementary Schools.
In case of ashfall, the proposed alternative voting center will be the Doña Hortencia Salas Benedicto National High School, with La Carlota SPED Integrated School as well as Cubay Elementary School to be utilized as temporary voting centers for displaced voters of barangays Poblacion 1 and Cubay.
The 1,390 voters of barangays Gomez and Zamora in Pontevedra will have to cast their votes in Antipolo Elementary and National High Schools.
The 2,116 affected voters of barangays Biak Na Bato, Cabagnaan, Mansalanao, Masulog and Sag-ang in La Castellana will also cast their votes in Biak Na Bato Elementary School, La Castellana National High School, Mansalanao Elementary School, Masulog and Sag-ang Elementary Schools, respectively.
For the 6,871 voters of Minoyan in Murcia, the proposed alternative voting center will be the Murcia National High School, Comelec report further stated.
If the Alert Level would be raised to 4, the Comelec estimates that more than 80,000 voters in 27 barangays of Bago, La Carlota and San Carlos cities as well as municipalities of La Castellana, Pontevedra and Murcia are expected to cast their votes in the proposed 22 alternative voting centers. | GB
