Philippines readies for rain that could delay Muslim-region vote
Election officials say heavy flooding could postpone the Sept. 14 parliamentary poll in autonomous Bangsamoro region
MANILA, Philippines (MNTV) — The Philippines’ election commission is preparing for the possibility that heavy rain could disrupt the Sept. 14 parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the Muslim-majority self-governing region in the country’s south, the state news agency PNA reported.
Under the country’s election law, the commission can postpone a vote for reasons of force majeure — events beyond human control.
“Typhoons and flooding qualify,” commission chairperson George Garcia said, adding that a delayed vote must be held within 30 days and that the option is under consideration.
His main concern is the schools used as polling places in flood-prone areas, and officials are identifying where voting centers could be relocated.
Garcia said results transmission is not a worry because the commission uses Starlink satellite-internet systems capable of operating through storms, and that election equipment is secured in warehouses.
The main risk, he said, comes when materials are deployed to municipalities, requiring adequate local storage.
Deployment of counting machines, laptops, and other equipment to local election offices is set to begin in the third week of August; transmission kits, batteries, and ballot boxes are already in regional hubs.
The region has 2,393,202 registered voters.
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