Comelec suspends Palawan plebiscite

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has ordered the suspension of the plebiscite in Palawan scheduled for May 11 due to the continuing crisis brought about by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.

In a two-page memorandum, the Comelec en banc approved Tuesday, April 7, the recommendation to postpone the plebiscite for the division of Palawan into three provinces.

The commission noted that Palawan is part of Luzon, which is now under an enhanced community quarantine as a measure to contain the out br eak.

The poll body said it will just issue a new calendar of activities for the Palawan plebiscite once the situation n or m al i zes.

"Applying Section 5 of the OEC (Omnibus Election Code), the plebiscite shall be postponed to a date which should be reasonably close to May 11, 2020 but not later than 30 days after the cessation of the cause for such postponement or until the ECQ is lifted," said the Comelec.

Last month, the commission already suspended all preparatory activities relative to the conduct of the Palawan plebiscite also due to the imposition of the ECQ in Luzon.

"In a health crisis as the Covid19, the commission is more importantly mandated to protect not only its personnel but the registered voters of the 23 municipalities of the province of Palawan," said the Comelec Law Department in its recommendation.

"At this time, It is logistically impossible to deploy personnel and election paraphernalia necessary for the conduct of the plebiscite," it added.

Republic Act No. 11259 calls for a plebiscite for the creation of Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental, and Palawan del Sur.

---(HDT/ SunStar Philippines)

DOMESTIC and international flights of local air carriers will remain suspended until April 30, 2020 following the extension of the Luzon enhanced community quar ant i ne.

“We intend to resume flying by May 1, 2020, if allowed by government authorities, global public

THE Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) is looking to provide cash assistance to about 150,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) displaced by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.

In a statement, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III said they are set to provide P10,000 cash assistance to each qualified OFW under the "Abot health conditions and the travel environment,” Philippine Airlines (PAL) said in an advisory.

PAL “will announce the list of operating flights and routes once finalized,” assuring affected passengers their “ticket is safe and remains valid.”

AirAsia also said all

Kamay ang Pagtulong" (Akap) program.

Qualified to receive cash assistance are OFWs, either documented or undocumented, who are stranded overseas or have been repatriated.

Bello said qualified OFWs are advised to get in touch with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (Polo) in their host country if they are based abroad, or visit the nearest (Owwa) regional office its affected guests will be promptly notified via email or SMS.

“Guests with existing flight bookings made on or before 22 March 2020 with a departure date until 31 May 2020 will now be able to select from a range of extended flexibility options for future travel,” the airline said. (CSL) if they are currently in the Philippines.

"The Polo and the Owwa can now start processing the assistance," the Labor chief said.

Bello said they are just awaiting President Rodrigo Duterte's approval of the recommendation submitted by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) on the program's funding. --- (HDT/ SunStar

Philippines)