Over 3K PDLs vote in national election exercise

On Monday, May 12, over 3,446 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) across the Philippines were able to cast their votes in an election exercise.

At New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, 2,135 PDLs participated in the voting process, with Comelec chairman George Garcia and foreign observers present to oversee the proceedings.

Nationwide, a total of 4,125 registered PDLs from various penal colonies managed by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) exercised their right to vote under strict guidelines.

The election exercise was conducted in several facilities including Davao Prison and Penal Farm, Leyte Regional Prison, San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm, Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm, Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City, and CIW-Mindanao.

Garcia emphasized that as long as their cases have no final judgment, PDLs can vote in every election, providing legal context from Jalosjos vs Comelec.

Voting materials were collected after the voting period and will be fed into official tally machines at designated polling places where the PDLs are registered voters.