CEBU CITY – An election officer on Tuesday said Cebuanos preferred mall voting for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) on Oct. 30 rather than the traditional casting of votes in schools.
Omar Sharif Dilangalen Mamalinta, Commission on Elections (Comelec)-Cebu province spokesperson, said that those who participated in the mall voting simulation last Aug. 19 at the Robinsons Galleria told a media interview that they would prefer to cast their vote at the malls.
“Some said they like to vote in a mall because it’s cool inside, some said malls are accessible, and others said it is convenient because voters would not get hungry as there are many stores inside the malls,” Mamalinta told the Open Line Forum in Cebu City.
However, Mamalinta said that mall voting would be held along with the established voting precincts in public schools.
He said that mall voting can be done only if the voters who are locals to a barangay, as well as the officials, would agree in a consultative meeting that they would prefer casting the votes outside precincts inside the classrooms.
Last Saturday, the Comelec successfully held the mall voting simulation in four malls nationwide – Robinsons Galleria in Cebu City, SM Legaspi, SM Manila and Robinsons Ermita.
There are 12 malls nationwide that have signified their willingness to lend their spaces for the mall voting on Oct. 30 but, Mamalinta said there is nothing final yet.
Meanwhile, Visayas Command chief, Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, said soldiers in the Visayas also launched their own simulation to jibe with the mall voting organized by the Comelec.
“We are now in our final phase of preparation for the upcoming Barangay and SK Elections. We have started our planning and preparations as early as March this year. We have conducted threat assessment and validation and made recommendations to the Comelec for the watchlist areas and security deployment,” Arevalo said. (PNA)
