265 inmates voted in today’s polls

By: Bennie A. Recebido

SORSOGON CITY, May 13 (PIA) – Some 265 inmates were not deprived of their constitutional rights to vote in this year’s May polls.

Provincial Jail Warden Rufino Escote of Sorsogon said they have registered at least 308 inmate voters for the first time during the joint Comelec-Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) initiated special registration for detainees.

“Unfortunately, out of this number 47 were transferred to National Bilibid Prison (NBP). Of the 47, two inmates died already. However, four of them were freed by the NBP and went back to SPJ to vote today,” said Provincial Warden Escote.

He explained that the Comelec did not establish a special polling area inside the SPJ but instead they had the inmates fill-up the ballots and have them submitted at the nearest polling precinct which is the Sorsogon East Central School for counting.

Comelec Resolution No. 9371 allows those confined in jail, formally charged for any crime and awaiting or undergoing trial, serving a sentence of imprisonment for less than one year, and convicted of a crime involving disloyalty to the government such as rebellion, sedition, violation of the fire-arms laws or any crime against national security or for any other crime which is on appeal, to register and cast their votes for May 2013 polls. (BARecebido, PIA Sorsogon)