DASMARIÑAS CITY, Philippines — Voting hours for the special elections here may be extended depending on weather conditions, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Saturday.
Comelec chair George Garcia made the pronouncement as heavy rain continued to pour over Dasmariñas and as voters began casting their ballots to elect a new congressional representative, replacing former lawmaker Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga.
READ: LOOK: Dasmariñas City holds special election to replace Kiko Barzaga
Regular voting hours began at 7 a.m. and will run until 3 p.m., but early voting for seniors, persons with disabilities and pregnant women started at 5 a.m.
“If it’s still raining until 3 p.m., we’ll see if Comec can extend the voting, but we still haven’t made a decision on that,” said Garcia in a chance interview.
“In the meantime, let’s wait and see what happens until three in the afternoon,” he added.
Asked what factors Comelec is considering before deciding on the matter, Garcia responded that it simply depends on whether voters will be able to go to their respective voting precincts.
“If our countrymen really can’t leave their homes, and at the same time they have difficulty voting, that’s force majeure,” Garcia said.
Based on the state weather bureau’s heavy rainfall warning advisory as of 8 a.m., the entire Cavite province — which includes Dasmariñas City as its fourth district — is currently under orange rainfall warning, which means 100 to 200 millimeters of rain is expected. /das
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