1.5-M Bulacan voters have biometrics

MALOLOS, Philippines – At least 1.5 million registered voters in Bulacan have biometric records, a local election officer reported yesterday.

Provincial election supervisor Elmo Duque said the figure was based on data gathered as of Sept. 19.

Duque said 45,614 voters have yet to undergo biometrics, as he appealed to new qualified and voters to register early and avoid waiting for the Oct. 31 deadline set by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Republic Act 10367 requires all voters to undergo biometric registrations. Voters without biometric data may not be allowed to vote in 2016.

Duque said no election hotspots has been identified in Bulacan so far, adding the election-related violence reported in the towns of San Miguel, Balagtas, Donya Remedios Trinidad and Norzagaray in the last polls were isolated cases.

He said the incidents were not enough to place these areas under the control of the Comelec.