Caloocan BSKE 2023 voters wait for hours in covered court
Voters in a barangay in Caloocan City waited hours to cast their ballots for the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) on Monday.
According to Mark Salazar’s report on “24 Oras,” residents of Barangay 180 in North Caloocan lined up for hours in a covered court to vote as the lack of a school that could serve as their polling center remained an election problem in the locality.
Around 11,000 voters were registered in the barangay.
“Mga senior ang pinrioritize kaninang umaga,” said Comelec support staffer Daniel Maguinda. “It takes 15-minute intervals. Tapos dumating kami dito walang mesa, walang upuan. Mage-eleksyon na bago dumating. Ang naka-ready lang cubicle.”
(We prioritized senior citizens this morning. There’s a 15-minute interval for every voter. When we arrived here, there were no tables or chairs. Cubicles were the only things ready for use.)
Several voters who failed to vote expressed frustration when the Comelec closed the polls to count votes at 3:18 p.m. Some even chanted to stop the counting process.
Watchers of candidates were also seen arguing.
“Syempre nagtanghalian ka muna wala naman libreng pagkain dito…Saktong magka-cut off na, pasok kana sana dyan. Nasa gate ka na. Isang hakbang na nga lang ako nung nag-cut off, eh,” a voter said.
(We ate lunch because there’s no food here. I was on the verge of entering the polling precinct when the polls were closed.)
The voting hours for the BSKE were from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Meanwhile, Comelec deputized law enforcers would remain at the polling center while the ballots were counted, the report added. — Sundy Locus/DVM, GMA Integrated News