Comelec finds 8 groups of shopping malls qualified to host voting centers

At least eight shopping mall chains are qualified to become partners of the Comelec for the proposed mall-based voting in the coming May 2016 elections.

Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said the poll body has conducted a background check for possible political connections of the mall owners who are supportive of the mall-voting plan.

“We checked the Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCEs) in 2010 and 2013 and we did not find the names like Henry Sy or Ayala. We didn’t find any of their names,” he said.

The eight mall groups that have signified interests to support the voting plan are SM Supermalls, Ayala Malls, Robinsons Malls, Gaisano Grand Malls, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, Pacific Malls/Metro Gaisano, WalterMart Community Malls, and Fisher Mall.
 
On the other hand, Bautista said malls that are owned by politicians are not considered. These include: the Gateway Mall or other Araneta malls, which is owned by the family of Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Mar Roxas; and StarMalls  owned by the family of Senator Cynthia Villar of the Nacionalista Party (NP).

“We did not involve them because it is provided for by the Omnibus Election Code, that the mall owner should not be a candidate,” he Bautista said.
 
Section 42 of the Omnibus Election Code provides that in case there is no public school or other public building that can be used as polling places, other appropriate private buildings may be designated.
 
But the law states that such private buildings must not be “owned or occupied or possessed by any incumbent elective public official or candidate, or his relative within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity.”

Under the mall-voting plan proposal, the Comelec will transfer polling centers that are adjacent to private malls.

Moreover, the poll body chief said that members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police as well security guards of the malls will not be allowed near the polling center inside the malls.

“It was made clear that within that space that will be provided to Comelec, it will be the Comelec that will have direct control and supervision over that space,” said Bautista. — LBG, GMA News