The government expects that by Election 2022, all voters in the country will be vaccinated against COVID-19.
This is important because it will dictate how the Commission of Elections conducts the 2022 national elections, according to Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles.
“I think the COMELEC will just wait and see what the situation is. By that time sa 2022, sa May elections, I think we have covered everybody for vaccination, all voters, by that time, fully vaccinated na sila,” he said.
“By 2022, we will be concentrating on vaccinating children. So iyong mga adults, 18 and above, fully vaccinated na iyon. Ang hahabulin nalang natin sa 2022 ay iyong under 18,” he added.
Nograles, on the other hand, admitted that when it comes to elections, the Comelec has the final decision on the policy to be implemented.
“Because it is a constitutional body, it is independent. It is independent of the President, the IATF. In fact, kami sa IATF, hindi kami pwede maglabas ng guidelines when it comes to elections,” he said.
“We can give recommendations and guidance to Comelec, but it is the Comelec that conducts the elections, and it not obliged to listen to anybody, strictly speaking,” explained Nograles.
Comelec: All voters expected to be fully vaccinated by Election 2022
It may be recalled that the Comelec first said that 60 million people have registered to vote in the 2022 national elections.
This is close to their minimum target of 61 million registered voters.
In July, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) warned that barring unvaccinated people from going out may cause “undue discrimination.”
“With all these challenges, preventing unvaccinated individuals from leaving their homes may result in undue discrimination considering that there are reasons for being unvaccinated that are beyond their control,” said CHR Spokesperson Jacqueline Ann De Guia said.
President Rodrigo Duterte has instructed the police and barangay captains to limit the movement of citizens who do not want to be vaccinated against COVID-19 amid the rising number of Delta variants.
According to Duterte, he will tell the police to bring home those who come out without the vaccine because they are likely to spread the virus.
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