Eagle Eyes – Tony La Viña

18 May 2021

Towards a COVID-proof and safe 2022 elections

In this column, I borrow from an excellent study conducted and released by the PARTICIPATE
coalition, led by the Ateneo School of Government. In that paper, the authors point out what is
obvious, that the 2022 Philippine national elections, to be held on May 9 next year, will need to
be conducted under pandemic conditions. One must remember that the electoral process does
not begin and end in one day. Already, the election season has began with registration of
voters, will ramp up as candidacies are filed in October, campaigns are launched, election fay
operations, and post-election activities. All of these phases of the electoral process must be
made safe if the 2022 elections are to be successful.
The PARTICIPATE study proposes that the country must prepare at the earliest possible time to
achive this success. According to the authors: “Unless effective health and safety measures are
adopted, elections during a pandemic can become super-spreader events, i.e. events wherein
mass numbers of citizens could inadvertently pass on the coronavirus to each other. Just one
undetected infection can spur an outbreak among attendees.” They pointed to elections in
Malaysia and India which resulted in COVID infection surges. It is also observed that this risk can
impede to political participation, with some countries like Kiribati, North Macedonia, and Sri
Lanka postponing elections. Other countries (i.e. Galicia, Basque Country in Spain)
unfortunately suspended the voting rights of infected citizens
Overall though, according to this study, the international experience “suggests it is possible to
hold successful elections even under pandemic conditions, and within reasonable cost to
protect citizens and create and environment of safe and secure elections”.
Closer to home, the Palawan plebiscite held March 2021 shows that elections (a
plebiscite is an election, as the Supreme Court has repeatedly said) can be conducted
safely even under the pandemic. Rightly, the COMELEC treated the 2021 Palawan
plebiscite as a simulation of the 2022 Elections. But this success in Palawan was
possible because of a larger budget allocation that ensured the credibility and safety of
elections.

One interesting observation the PARTIPATE study makes is that election misinformation could
become a key issue, particularly under the lockdown conditions of the pandemic. According to
the authors: “Due to quarantine restrictions, electoral activities involving mass gatherings (i.e.,
candidate registration, campaigns, and proclamation of winners) moved to digital platforms.” It
quotes International Foundation for Electoral Systems who has found that t”he risks of
misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech in online campaign activities may
disenfranchise voters and undermine faith in democratic institutions.”
PARTICIPATE concludes that COVID-proofing the 2022 national elections requires a
“whole of society” approach: “Stakeholders like civil society organizations, other
government agencies, and even the academe should be treated as partners in the
development and implementation of appropriate health guidelines for the elections. The
crafting of goals and the steps taken to achieve them should arise from continuous and
deliberative consultations.”

In this regard, I echo the recommendations in the Ligtas Halalan statement issued
by PARTICPATE:

“Ensuring that the COMELEC receives enough funds to overcome the fear and
uncertainty of voting. An additional allocation of about PhP 10 billion is needed to
implement measures that will protect citizens and create an environment of safe,
secure, and credible elections. This estimate is based on international best practices,
and the estimated additional cost the government needed to ensure the safe conduct
of the Palawan Plebiscite in March.

Protecting voters from COVID-19 and politicking. Stricter measures should be

implemented from the start of the election period to voting day. The Philippines can
learn from the best practices of countries that successfully held their elections
amidst the pandemic such as Indonesia, Singapore, and the United States.
There is a need to curb the expected rise in vote buying due to the country’s
economic conditions. It will also be critical not to politicize impending access to
vaccines by making them fairly available to all based on identified needs and
criteria. Responsive, prompt, and efficient distribution of financial aid will also help
reduce politicizing social development, and consequently, the elections.

Implementing an extensive information and awareness campaign on safety. To instill

confidence among voters, there is a need to establish an atmosphere of safety and trust in
health protocols. It is critical to provide accessible and reliable information on the safety
measures done to prepare for election day, and to form effective campaigns against
disinformation and misinformation that may cause fear and concern among the voters.

Promoting safe and fair new normal campaigning. There is a need to ensure
that political campaigns are safe and fair, that spending is transparent, and that
candidates are accountable for their actions.

Adopting a multi-stakeholder approach to ensure transparency. Election

stakeholders such as civil society organizations, other government agencies, the
academe, the youth, and other sectors could be effective partners in developing
and implementing appropriate policy measures and regulations for the elections.
Transparency and cooperation can build the legitimacy of this democratic exercise.”

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