VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur (PIA) – A total of 31 Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) from the Ilocos Sur Provincial Jail (ISPJ) exercised their right to vote in the 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE).
These PDLs voted in their respective towns, namely: Santo Domingo (2), Santa (3), Narvacan (6), Santa Maria (6), San Esteban (4), Santiago (5), Banayoyo (4), and Lidlidda (1).
Alias Nonoy, a PDL from Santiago, expressed gratitude to ISPJ for not only allowing them to vote but also for providing escorts to polling precincts.
“The jail officers helped us get to the polling places even though they also had to vote. They prioritized us, and I am very thankful,” he said.
Nonoy voted in Santiago at around 10 AM on May 12.
“The process was quick, maybe because of the new machines. It was peaceful, and I felt safe,” he added.
The PDLs needed court orders, requested through their lawyers, to be allowed to vote outside the jail under supervision.
Raymond Tabios, ISPJ provincial warden, said the detention facility provided phone privileges so PDLs could contact their legal counsel.
“We reminded them about the requirements and helped them meet those.”
He added that the ISPJ ensured the PDLs’ safety and that the voting went smoothly, with no incidents reported.
A rotating schedule allowed jail officers to escort PDLs while still voting themselves.
COMELEC rules permit PDLs to vote for local posts only, based on the 2022 Supreme Court ruling Aguinaldo v. COMELEC (G.R. No. 221201).
Under Philippine law, individuals can only be disqualified from registering or voting if they are convicted by final judgment—not while their case is still under appeal. This is based on Republic Act No. 8189 (Voter’s Registration Act of 1996) and Batas Pambansa Blg. 881 (Omnibus Election Code of 1981).
A person sentenced by final judgment to at least one year in prison is disqualified from voting, unless granted a plenary pardon or amnesty.
The same laws also disqualify those convicted of crimes involving disloyalty to the government, such as rebellion, sedition, or violations of national security laws.
These provisions affirm the right of PDLs whose cases are still pending or under appeal to vote, upholding the principle of innocence until proven guilty with finality.
PDLs from ISPJ voted in their towns because there were not enough applicants to establish a Special Polling Precinct inside the detention facility, as required by COMELEC.
“We believe in rehabilitation. Many of these individuals are victims of their circumstances. Our job is to help them change for the better,” Tabios said.
ISPJ reaffirmed its support for rebuilding the lives of PDLs by helping them take part in the country’s democratic process. (CCMT/ATV, PIA Ilocos Sur)
