Officials to tackle postponement of Oct 25 polls in typhoon-hit areas

Disaster management and elections officials are to meet Wednesday afternoon to discuss the possible postponement of the Oct. 25 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in areas hit by Typhoon Juan (Megi). Radio dzBB's Sam Nielsen reported that the meeting between officials of the Commission on Elections and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council is set at 3 p.m. Officials from both sides are to assess the damage sustained by the affected areas and whether it will still be practical to hold elections there this coming Monday. It was not clear, however, where the meeting will take place — either in the Comelec headquarters in Intramuros, Manila or inside Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City where the NDRRMC office is located. Filipinos are to elect barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kabataan (youth council) officials next Monday. However, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley and Cordillera suffered major casualties and damage in the wake of Juan, which barreled through Northern Luzon this week. On Tuesday, Comelec chairman Jose Melo said they are not not discounting the possibility of postponing the grassroots polls in areas that were gravely affected by Juan. (See: Comelec: Barangay, SK polls may be postponed in some areas) "Expectedly, there were hard-to-reach barangays where landslides might have occured. We expect (postponement) in some places," Melo said. Among the factors being considered were: