Comelec to hold registration for barangay, SK polls

MANILA, Philippines - Despite calls to postpone this year’s barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is scheduled to hold the voter’s registration for the synchronized polls from July 22 to 31.

According to Comelec spokesman James Jimenez, they expect some 740,000 more voters to sign up for the barangay polls and another two million for the SK elections.

Jimenez said they have to conduct the registration 90 days before the scheduled elections on Oct. 28.

“July 22 is the earliest we can do it and we are still organizing records from the last elections. It’s about 10 days and we think it’s enough,” he said.

The voters’ list for the SK shall contain those aged 15 to 18 years before election day. 

Jimenez added that after the elections, the list would be scrapped “since it is particularly for the use of this election only.”

“SK is only for those below 18. So if you turn 18 on Oct. 27, you are not qualified because the cutoff is you have to be below 18 on the day of election. If you’ll be 18 on Oct. 29, you are qualified. But if Oct. 28, you cannot register because you are already 18 then,” he said.

Expected to register for the barangay elections are primarily those who turned 18 after the voter’s registration for 2013 polls that ended on Oct. 31, 2012.

Jimenez added that aside from the registration in the offices of the Comelec’s election officers, the poll body is looking at the possibility of putting up satellite registration centers at the barangay levels to entice more people to sign up for the polls.

At present, there are calls for the barangay and SK polls to be postponed because of their proximity to the midterm polls last May 13.

This was supported by Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. who was eyeing the conduct of polls either in October 2014 or January 2015.