COMELEC says Dangdangla Elementary School in Bangued, ABRA remains a voting center

Abra, Philippines – Dangdangla Elementary School, whose classrooms were razed by fire on on May 7, will remain to be a polling place for voters in Bangued, according to the Commission on Elections.

Five days ahead of the May 12 election period, the said school caught fire which damaged 70% of the polling place early Wednesday.

In spite of the incident which is still being investigated by the authorities, Comelec Chairperson Attorney George Erwin Garcia, during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay with Marichu Villanueva on May 7, said that the people will still cast their votes at the Dangdangla Elementary School. He said they will be assembling makeshift voting areas at the school in addition to the two classrooms that can still be used.

Garcia acknowledged that the fire incident might have inflicted fear on the constituents in Abra, but he assured them they have nothing to worry about as they will be increasing the presence of law enforcers in the area.

“Wag po kayong matatakot. Diyan po tayo magho-hold [ng elections] and we will increase the presence of our security personnel diyan po sa area na yan,” he said. 

As for the call to place Abra under the COMELEC control, Garcia said they are still studying it since there was no reported violence for the past week due to the Special Task Force created by PNP.

“Kung napansin niyo naman po nitong nakaraang isang buong linggo, wala po kahit anong insidente ng karahasan na nangyari diyan sa Abra simula nung sabihin natin na maaaring malagay yang Abra sa Comelec control,” he explained.

Garcia, meantime, expressed he was saddened on schools getting burned or catching fire this election period, saying, “Isipin niyo po, diba nakakalungkot at nakakagalit. Bakit? Sa mga bata po yang paaralan eh. Isang araw lang naman nating gagamitin sa pagboto tapos susunugin pa o masusunog.”