Comelec chief leads launching of ‘Walkah Walkah’ campaign

LAOAG CITY, Philippines – Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Sixto Brillantes yesterday led the launching of the “Walkah Walkah” campaign in this city to convince voters to take part in the biometric registration project.

Brillantes, along with city government employees and residents, walked from San Nicolas town up to Batac City, a distance of 18 kilometers.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez and local election officials joined the activity that aims to drum up public awareness and support for the registration project.

In San Nicolas, the Comelec chief urged voters to register early as he expressed confidence that a majority of Ilocanos would join the registration.

Brillantes’ roots are in Santa town in Ilocos Sur, where his father Sixto Brillantes Sr. was the Comelec chief in the 1950s.

Mayor Chevylle Fariñas thanked Brillantes for choosing Laoag as the launching point for “Walkah Walkah.”

Fariñas urged her constituents to register in order to participate in the 2016 elections.

Good start

The Comelec said yesterday’s registration was off to a good start, noting the high turnout of registrants.

“We don’t have the figures yet, but it appeared that many came to the local Comelec offices to register,” Jimenez said, citing the turnout in San Nicolas.

He said the local Comelec office was able to process more than 30 applications for validation of voter’s registration before noon.

“That’s fast considering this is the first day. We are getting similar reports from other parts of the country,” Jimenez added.

The “Walkah Walkah” team is expected to reach the Comelec main office in Manila on June 1. After two weeks, they will set off for a walk from Rizal Park in Manila to Sorsogon.

Jimenez attributed the high turnout of registrants to the extensive awareness campaign being conducted by the poll body.

“We have a politically charged citizenry, especially among our youth who are looking for changes. They believe one good way to be part of the change is by exercising their right to vote,” he said.

The voter’s registration will end on Oct. 31 next year. The Comelec is urging the public not to wait for the last minute to register.

Aside from processing new voters’ applications during this period, the Comelec also allows validation, transfer and deactivation of voters’ registration.

The poll body is expecting three million new voters to sign up for the 2016 elections, aside from the 9.6 million registered voters whose biometrics data have yet to be taken by the Comelec.

OFWs urged to register

Migrante International has called on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to register under the overseas absentee voting (OAV) scheme.

Migrante said OFWs should exercise their right of suffrage by taking part in the voter’s registration.

“The right to vote is a constitutional right. This has to be protected and promoted by overseas Filipinos themselves,” the group said.

Records showed there are at least 12 million OFWs, but according to the Comelec only around 700,000 of them are registered as of the 2013 polls.

For the 2016 elections, the Comelec is targeting to register around one million overseas Filipinos.

“We are worth more than the dollars we send. Let our voices be heard, go out and register,” Migrante said. – With Sheila Crisostomo