Residents in Talisay avoid 11th hour rush

CEBU, Philippines - Over a hundred residents in Talisay City flocked to the Talisay City Social Hall yesterday to avoid the expected rush on October 31, the deadline set by the Commission on Elections for registration of voters.

Talisay City Election Officer Corazon Moran yesterday said it was preferable to hold the last three day of registration of voters and validation of records at the social hall because the Comelec’s office at the ground floor is too small to accommodate registrants.

Moran said more is expected to beat the deadline.

Based on Comelec Resolution 9542, the commission en banc stressed it is determined not to extend the registration period further, including the closing time of 5 p.m.

The Comelec will be open until Wednesday, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. for the voters’ registration.

The Comelec announced that only registrants whose biometrics (i.e. photograph, fingerprints, and signature) have been digitally captured by the Comelec’s Voter’s Registration Machine (VRM) /Data Capture Machine (DCM) during application will be issued a voter’s identification card.

Registered voters before 2003 cannot be issued a voter’s I.D. because the old registration system did not have biometrics capability.

Based on the resolution, if at 3 p.m. of October 31, there are still persons waiting on line to file their application for registration within 30 meter radius for the OEOs, the Election Assistant (EA) shall list down their names consecutively numbered.  (FREEMAN)