SC junks petition for extension of voters’ registration

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday rejected the bid to extend the deadline for registration of voters for next year’s general elections.

In their last regular session for this year yesterday, justices of the high court decided to dismiss the petition filed by groups led by Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon last Oct. 29 seeking issuance of a mandatory injunction ordering the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to extend the period of registration up to Jan. 8 next year or for more than two months.

The Comelec ended the registration period last Oct. 31.

The Comelec yesterday supported the SC ruling against extending the registration of voters.

“Needless to say, the Comelec agrees with the court’s ruling. All that is left is to acknowledge those who heeded the call to register and validate their biometrics within the 17-month period that the Comelec had set aside for that purpose,” Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said.

The SC, however, did not rule on another petition of Ridon against the Comelec’s “No Bio, No Boto” campaign, which provides for disenfranchisement of voters without digital photograph, signature and fingerprints in their registration records.

Earlier this month, the SC stopped the new policy of Comelec requiring voters to register biometrics before they would be allowed to vote in next year’s general elections.

The high court issued a temporary retraining order (TRO) last Dec. 1 enjoining the poll body from implementing its “No Bio, No Boto” policy.

The SC said the TRO was “effective immediately and continuing until further orders from the Court.”

The SC said they did not find merit in the arguments of petitioners that the poll body usurped legislative power of Congress and violated the continuing registration system under Republic Act 8189, or the Automated Election Law in setting the deadline. – With Sheila Crisostomo