No stopping Abra polls despite school fire
BAGUIO CITY—The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has assured voters in Bangued, Abra, that the elections on May 12 will proceed despite a fire that damaged a polling center in the provincial capital.
According to the local police, the blaze, which broke out early morning on Wednesday, affected at least 70 percent of Dangdangla Elementary School.
The school had been set as a polling center for over 900 registered voters in Barangay Dangdangla. While three buildings were damaged, Bangued election officer Reyman Solbita said two remain usable.
“We are waiting for clearance from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and the Department of Education, and once electricity is restored, to confirm the school’s readiness to host voting,” he told the Inquirer.
Solbita confirmed that all 49 automated counting machines (ACMs) in the town underwent final testing and sealing on May 7.
The ACM assigned to Dangdangla was tested at the Comelec office in the presence of party representatives and will be delivered to the polling center on Election Day under police and military escort.
Controversy arose after a barangay official, through a Facebook livestream, alleged that the police were involved in the fire.
The Abra police denied the accusation, saying the school is under its protection during elections.
“Spreading false claims is punishable under the law,” it said, urging the public to wait for the results of the BFP’s investigation.
