Solon: No election in 2022 not possible

By Mar Arguelles

SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian on Sunday has dismissed speculation that the presidential and local electionas set in May next year may be postponed due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) disease.

Gatchalian said “there would be zero possibility of a no election scenario because of the pandemic.”

Gatchalian who is running for re-election in the Senate has expressed concern that the seemingly delayed arrival of the vaccines and the vaccination procedure would affect the turnout of voters on election day.

“Election would go but what is disturbing is without the vaccines the voters’ turnout on election day would be affected significantly, citing that 30 percent of the electorate are senior citizens, and they would inevitably hesitate to go to the voting center to cast their votes for fear that they may contract the virus disease,” he said.

Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Education and Energy, in a press conference in Legazpi City, said in a normal situation only 75 percent of the electorate cast their votes, but due to the pandemic, the would significantly drop.