House Makabayan bloc calls on Comelec to extend voter registration
MANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers from the House of Representatives Makabayan bloc on Monday filed a resolution urging the Commission on Elections to extend voters registration period for at least another month, citing possible “massive disenfranchisement” amid the pandemic.
BusinessWorld reported that six lawmakers of the Makabayan bloc called on the House to urge the Comelec to extend the deadline for voter registration until at least October 31, or for a month, “to deter massive voter disenfranchisement amid COVID-19 pandemic.”
“The September 30 deadline was set before the COVID-19 pandemic and it now falls upon the COMELEC’s prerogative to adjust the deadline due to the ramifications of the pandemic,” they said.
The lawmakers noted that due to Enhanced Community Quarantine and Modified ECQ periods imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus, voter registration was suspended for months. The lockdowns affected even satellite registration period too.
“Considering the five-and-a-half month suspension which is equivalent to approximately 28.3% or 164 days of the voter registration period across the country and, after that, month-long suspensions in areas under ECQ and MECQ brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic (some areas, such as Metro Manila, lost up to 36.8% of the entire registration period), COMELEC has the prerogative to set the deadline of voter registration on a later date but before Jan. 9. 2022,” the resolution read.
The Comelec suspended voter registration in Metro Manila from August 6 to 20, during the lockdown period.
There were also reports of limited registration slots, ineffective registration sites and lone lines due to staff shortage, prompting registrants to line up as early as 4:00 a.m, they said.
They claimed that some 13.1 million prospective voters may be disenfranchised due to backlog.
“Thus, extending voter registration is all the more prudent thing to do and is already an imperative as we have just and heavier reasons to implement it now more than ever,” the resolution further read.
Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon last week said there will be no extension of voter registration. The STAR quoted her as saying that the Comelec has “to finish Project of Precincts in December… Voters’ names will have to be assigned to precincts.”
But Guanzon assured that the Comelec is looking for ways to allow voters more time to sign up for the 2022 polls such as a proposal to allow Sunday registration. — Kristine Joy Patag with reports from BusinessWorld, The STAR/Sheila Crisostomo
Get the latest updates on the Philippines' preparation for the May 2022 national elections amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Main image by The STAR/Michael Varcas
Local executives are optimistic of peaceful elections on Monday in North Cotabato and Basilan provinces.
North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza says Saturday she is thankful to the Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade of the 6th Infantry Division and units of the Eastern Mindanao Command in the province for supporting extensively the efforts of the Commission on Elections to ensure the safety of polling activities on Monday.
“We are also thankful to the Cotabato Provincial Police Office and the Police Regional Office-12 for their initiatives towards that goal. We are looking forward to a peaceful electoral exercise in our province on Monday,” Mendoza says. — The STAR/John Unson
Comelec names Director John Rex Laudiangco as the new spokesperson of the commission, replacing James Jimenez.
May 9, election day, has been declared a special non-working holiday.
In a proclamation released Thursday, President Rodrigo Duterte declared the holiday "to enable the people to properly exercise their right to vote, subject to the public health measures of the national government." — report from Alexis Romero
READ: Proclamation No. 1357 declaring May 9, election day, a special non-working holiday @PhilippineStar @Philstarnews pic.twitter.com/EvUUNb8Yuf
— Alexis B. Romero (@alexisbromero) May 5, 2022
The Bangsamoro police has mobilized 6,347 personnel to guard 1,195 polling sites in five provinces under its jurisdiction.
Brig. Gen. Arthur Cabalona, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, says Thursday the contingent includes 706 Reaction Standby Support Force and 405 Quick Reactionary Force personnel for deployment to Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur provinces.
Tension has markedly been high in some towns in both provinces owing to the deep-seated political animosity among local clans.
Besides Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao also covers the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Lamitan, Marawi and Cotabato. — John Unson
The Commission on Election starts the distribution and conduct of the testing and sealing of the vote counting machines (VCMs) six days prior to the election day in the remote and far flung villages in Zamboanga City.
The early distribution of the VCMs was made with the authority of the Comelec central office following the recommendation of the local poll body here, says District 2 officer Atty. Stephen Roy Cañete.
“We asked permission and we were given the authority by the Comelec central office to start the distribution of the VMCs early. In case there will be glitches we still have enough time to replace the defective VCM,” Cañete says. — The STAR/Roel Pareño
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