Comelec to decide on May 11 plebiscite to ratify division of Palawan

By Leslie Ann Aquino

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has not decided yet whether to push through or not with the May 11 plebiscite to ratify the division of the province of Palawan.

Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said they will have to wait for the latest developments before deciding on its fate.

“@COMELEC suspended preparation for Palawan plebiscite but plebiscite not postponed yet,” she said in her Twitter account (@commrguanzon).

“It is in May. But we will see this month if possible,” added Guanzon.

Last month, the poll body suspended the preparatory activities related to the May 11 plebiscite due to the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) that the government imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

It was last November when the poll body set the conduct of the plebiscite to ratify the division of the province of Palawan into Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental, and Palawan del Sur on May 11 in accordance with Republic Act No. 11259 which provides that the plebiscite should be held on the second Monday of May, 2020.

RA 11259 was signed into law by President Duterte in April last year.