Comelec: No more extension of poll registration deadline

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday urged eligible voters to file their application for registration for this year’s Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) as this would not likely be extended.

“Don’t expect an extension. The deadline is Jan. 31 so come out and register,” Comelec Chairman George Garcia said in an interview aired over CNN Philippines.

Garcia said the Comelec does not see anything that could prompt any extensions beyond the deadline, saying the information drive and registration programs intended to drum up more voters have been more than sufficient.

“We have fully informed our people on the registration. So, we don’t see anything except if there will be some areas that suspended registration because of floods. Maybe we can extend in those areas,” he said.

“But under ordinary circumstances, it is really not a good idea to always extend if there is a deadline. The Filipino mentality that defers tasks for tomorrow, that is not good as far as registration is concerned. So we will stick to the Jan. 31 deadline. There should be no more excuses for our people not to register,” he added.

Garcia said over a million applicants have already filed for voter registration and that the Comelec was hopeful that about 1.5 or 2 million voters would register before the deadline.

The poll body has already launched the register anywhere program (RAP) site at the Department of Social Welfare and Development, with other sites to be set up at the House of Representatives and at the Senate.

“All Comelec offices nationwide are open to accepting (registrations) Mondays to Saturdays. So this is an appeal to our people to register as voters,” he said.

Currently, there are RAP sites located at SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City; SM Southmall in Las Piñas; Robinsons Place in Ermita, Manila; Robinsons Galleria in Ortigas; Robinsons North in Tacloban City; SM City in Legazpi City, Albay and Robinsons Place in Naga City, Camarines Sur.

Meanwhile, Garcia said with new voters expected to register before the deadline, the Comelec would ask Congress for at least P3 billion in a supplemental budget to fund additional expenses for the conduct of the BSKE, given that it was rescheduled from Dec. 5, 2022 to October 2023.

The Supreme Court has yet to decide, however, on a petition filed by election lawyer Romulo Macalintal that asks the Comelec to hold the BSKE in May and stop the implementation of Republic Act 11935, which President Marcos signed into law on Oct. 10 that effectively moves the BSKE to October 2023.

DSWD assistance

In a related development, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will help the Comelec in getting more people to become registered voters.

The DSWD has entered into a partnership with the poll body to accommodate its RAP in the One-Stop-Shop Serbilis On-The-Go! booths and spaces project of the DSWD nationwide.

The Serbilis On-the-Go program is being implemented this year by the DSWD in celebration of its 72nd anniversary this month.

DSWD officer-in-charge Eduardo Punay said they have yet to iron out the details of the partnership.

Punay met with Garcia yesterday for a formal partnership launch meeting.

“We have to study it further,” Punay said.

Initially, the DSWD will conduct a pilot implementation at its central office in Batasan Hills, Quezon City where DSWD employees will be initial target beneficiaries of the voter registration services.

In his talk with Garcia, Punay said they have agreed to allow the Comelec to conduct voter education briefers to heads of the 4.4 million Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program family-beneficiaries or 4Ps. – Rainier Allan Ronda