Senior citizens arrive at the New Capitol Estates-1 basketball court, one of the polling precincts in Barangay Batasan Hills, to cast their votes during the early voting period of the 2025 midterm elections on May 12, 2025. Mark Demayo, ABS-CB News
MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday said the opening of early voting hours for vulnerable sectors went "smoothly" even if it was the first time the poll body rolled out the mechanism nationwide.
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Comelec chairman George Garcia inspected the early morning preparations of electoral boards at Silang Central Elementary School in Silang, Cavite.
“First time nating inilatag ito sa buong bansa, yung early voting hours natin at tayo’y natutuwa dahil alam n’yo po, kaninang mga alas-2 ng madaling araw nagsimula nang dumagsa ang mga miyembrong electoral board kasama po ang mga watcher upang simulan yung mga paghahanda doon sa mga kagamitan natin,” Garcia told reporters.
Florinia Luna, 91, from Silang Cavite was one of the first in line at the two designated Priority Polling Places at Silang Central.
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She was on a wheelchair and was accompanied by her son Maximin Luna.
“So far lahat nung proseso na dinaanan eh naging maluwag para sa aming dalawa nung nanay ko,” Luna told ABS-CBN News.
“Meron na kaming ready na listahan, local at tsaka yung sa national, yun na yung hinanap namin sa balota,” she added.
Luna took only about 2 minutes to finish shading the ballots.
Garcia explained that although 2 hours of early voting seemed to be enough for now, lawmakers should consider enacting a law to make early voting for vulnerable sector last for at least a day.
“Sana nga mapag-isipan na ng ating kongreso with all due respect yung aming ipino-propose noon pa na yung early voting hindi oras, yung early voting, araw, parang local absentee voting,” Garcia said.
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Meanwhile, at the opening of polling precincts for regular voters, Garcia also voted at a public school in Indang, Cavite along with other voters.
“Meron lang mga usual na reklamo, hindi makita ang pangalan, nawawala ang pangalan, yun pala nasa ibang presinto na, na-cluster na,” Garcia said.
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