Over 7,000 PDLs to cast votes in May 12 polls

Local

OVER 7,000 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in Cebu province are expected to vote in the May 12 synchronized national and local elections, according to the Commission on Elections-Central Visayas (Comelec-7).

Lawyer Francisco Pobe, regional director of Comelec-7, said that in Cebu City, there are 2,463 PDLs who are registered voters and another 507 in neighboring Bohol.

This is part of a broader nationwide initiative by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the Comelec to ensure that more than 31,000 eligible PDLs across the country can cast their votes inside jail facilities.

PDL voting, first institutionalized in recent years, has steadily expanded as part of the Comelec’s inclusive approach to democratic participation.

In the 2022 elections, 33,409 PDLs across the country were allowed to vote, with 30,726 doing so inside jail precincts, while 2,683 voted off-site under judicial authorization and BJMP escort.

Preparations are also underway in Cebu City, where a total of 900 automated counting machines (ACMs) were delivered on May 5.

A portion of these machines has been specifically allocated for use in jail facilities to accommodate PDL voters, according to Lawyer Ambongan Abilar, election officer of the Comelec Cebu City North District.

The final testing and sealing (FTS) of all ACMs is scheduled for Wednesday, May 7, at 9 a.m., to simultaneously take place in all voting centers across the city.

Cebu City’s 326,000 registered voters in the North District will be served by 359 ACMs, including 50 contingency units, distributed across 37 voting centers.

Meanwhile, the South District, with around 340,000 registered voters and 36 voting centers, will use 431 machines, with 60 held in reserve.

All machines are currently secured at the Cebu City Hall

Social Hall under a 24-hour police guard.

Police Lt. Col. Maria Theresa Macatangay, Deputy City Director for Operations of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said stringent security measures are in place to protect election materials.

“We have more than 100 officers securing the ACMs at City Hall alone. No personnel will be pulled out until the machines are fully deployed by May 7,” Macatangay said.

Command posts have also been activated, and K9 units are on-site to ensure security.

Comelec officials in both the North and South Districts confirmed that all logistical and security preparations are on track.

“All deployment plans are in place — from ACMs to election paraphernalia and ballots,” said Lawyer Ferdinand Gujilde, South District election officer. “Coordination with law enforcement continues to ensure a smooth, safe, and credible election.”

According to BJMP, 393 of its 484 jail facilities nationwide will serve as special polling precincts this May 12. These precincts are installed inside jails where PDL voter populations are large enough to warrant on-site polling.

In smaller facilities with fewer than 50 registered PDL voters, BJMP and Comelec will coordinate to allow them to vote off-site at regular precincts, under tight security and based on court-issued orders.

BJMP also reported that seven PDLs nationwide are running for public office in the 2025 elections, including positions for senator, congressman, mayor, vice mayor, and municipal councilor.(TGP)