“President Aquino signed Proclamation No. 1254 on Monday (April 25), declaring May 9, as a Special Public (Non-Working) Holiday throughout the country to enable the entire citizenry to participate in the national elections and to properly exercise their right of suffrage,” Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said in a statement.

Malacañang is optimistic that next month’s local and national elections would be orderly.

The Commission on Elections, which has assured the integrity of the automated voting system to be used in the polls, last week conducted a mock election to test the transmission of the votes from the polling precincts to the canvassing centers.

The election body said it has reached its 100 percent transmission target during the trial run. PND (jm)