Comelec offices open until midnight for registrants

CEBU, Philippines - All Commission on Elections offices will be open until midnight today to accommodate last-minute registrants for the national elections next year.

Comelec-7 assistant regional election director Veronico Petalcorin said that they expect to deal with double the number of registrants daily as they have observed that Filipinos have this culture of doing things at the last minute.

Petalcorin said that today will definitely be the last day of registration because Comelec has to double time to prepare for the next activity which is the filing of candidacies and the May 2010 elections.

“We need to print the voter’s list immediately so we could furnish copies to political parties in each area. Kinahanglan sad namo ang time to print the ballots. Since our election process is automated naman, lahi na pud ang porma sa ballots. Naa na’y names sa candidates so ang voting public, magshade na lang sa ilang choice,” Petalcorin said.

“Daghan jud ang mangari kay ang uban ana nila mga mamalik man tungod wala sila na-accommodate the first time they came here,” Petalcorin said. Reasons that they were not accommodated may include lack of time or the power outages that Cebu experiences almost everyday in different areas.

All registrations will be subject to approval during the Elections Registration Board Hearing on November 16 which shall be attended by members composing election officers, Department of Education Supervisors and Civil Registrar representatives.

Comelec-7 estimated that there will be a five percent growth in the number of voters in Central Visayas this year.   — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/BRP   (FREEMAN NEWS)