Comelec drops 1 million voters from Metro list

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has removed a total of 974,145 names from its list of voters in Metro Manila for failing to vote in two consecutive polls in 2007.

Michael Dioneda, Comelec director for Metro Manila, said upon reviewing their records, they found that these voters did not participate in the local and national elections in May 2007 and in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls in August 2007.

“They still have the chance to reactivate their registration until Dec. 15,” he said in a telephone interview. The Comelec has reviewed 90 percent of its Metro Manila voter’s list.

Dioneda said the Comelec is also in the process of removing the names of dead voters, in coordination with the civil registry offices of local government units.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez assured that voters who are up for deactivation are properly notified by mail.

Comelec records showed that 246,288 of the deactivated votes came from Quezon City while 245,437 from Manila; 106,664 from Caloocan City; 98,327 from Pasig City and 67,443 from Makati City.

There are approximately six million registered voters in Metro Manila.