Malaybalay City, Bukidnon – In a meaningful exercise of democracy behind bars, thirty-three (33) Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL) at the Malaybalay City Jail were able to cast their votes during the 2025 National and Local Elections held today, May 12.
The voting activity commenced at 7:00 a.m. and lasted nearly two hours. The facility’s multipurpose hall was temporarily transformed into a Special Polling Place to accommodate the voting needs of qualified PDL. In accordance with the law, only individuals who have not yet been convicted with finality were allowed to participate.
Jail Chief Inspector SHODJI R LABIS, the City Jail Warden, emphasized the importance of upholding the voting rights of the PDL. “We have to ensure that the right to vote of our hosted PDL is realized. It forms part of our clients’ continuing reformation, rehabilitation, and development,” he stated.
The PDL who voted today had previously registered through the Commission on Elections’ (COMELEC) special satellite registration activities held within the jail in past years. Their voter records have been continuously updated to ensure eligibility and accuracy.
After casting their votes, the accomplished ballots were securely sealed and prepared for transport to Patpat Elementary School, the designated mother precinct. There, the ballots will be officially counted using vote-counting machines, ensuring that every vote cast by the PDL is duly recognized.
