DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines—Over 100,000 people in Region 1 cannot vote in next year’s elections for failing to have their biometrics taken.
A report of regional election director Noli Pipo obtained by The STAR showed 65,678 voters in Pangasinan; 13,139 in La Union; 8,280 in Ilocos Sur and 17, 764 in Ilocos Norte were not able to meet the Oct. 31 deadline.
Reddy Balarbar, assistant regional election director, said those without biometrics represent 3.57 percent of the 2,829,482 registered voters in the region.
“It is a small number considering that Region 1 ranked third among those with the least number of voters without biometrics,” Balarbar said.
Balarbar said they would check if those who failed to have their biometrics taken are either dead or living abroad.
Pangasinan has the highest number of voters with biometrics in Region 1 at 1, 636,894, followed by La Union (435,438), Ilocos Sur (394, 215) and Ilocos Norte (362,935).
The Commission on Elections has ordered the deactivation of voters who failed to have their biometrics taken.
Biometrics refers to the automated capturing of a registered voter’s image, signature and fingerprints.