House okays purge of ARMM book of voters

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives approved on third and final reading on Monday night an urgent joint resolution purging the voters’ list of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and calling for a new general registration to ensure honest and credible elections in the region.

Passed on third reading was House Joint Resolution 31 annulling the ARMM book of voters, principally authored by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales.

Underlining the urgency of the matter, the House subsequently adopted Senate Joint Resolution 17 as amendment to HJR 31 on the annulment of the ARMM book of voters.

Belmonte said there is an urgent need for a general registration in the region due the presence of hundreds of thousands of illegal and fictitious registrants, which need to be deleted from the book of voters.

He said previous election results in the region have been questionable and tainted with anomaly and irregularity, principally because of the padded book of voters.