Comelec registration begins tomorrow, May 6

CEBU, Philippines - Registration of new voters for the May 2016 elections will begin tomorrow, May 6, and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) urged registrants not to wait for the last minute.

Registration will end on October 31 next year.

“Among hangyo lang is di na ta magpaabot sa deadline and blame Comelec,” said provincial election officer Ferdinand Gujilde.

To ensure that voters will be able to find time to register, the Comelec modified the registration schedule – this time, from Sunday to Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m

“Ang purpose ani is to accommodate katong mga working, estudyante, aron din a gyod sila ka-rason nga moabot na sila sa last minute,” Gujilde said.

The process will include transfer of registration records, change of name, corrections of entries in the registration record, reactivation of registration record, reinstatement of name in the list of voters, inclusion of registration records in the book of voters, validation of registration of records, and updating of records of Persons with Disabilities.

An applicant must be a Filipino citizen, at least eighteen  years old, a resident of the Philippines for at least one year, a resident in the place wherein he/she desires to vote for at least six months immediately preceding the election, and has not been disqualified by law to do.

An applicant needs to bring a birth certificate and a valid ID upon registration. If he/she does not own a valid ID, the applicant may bring an NBI clearance.

“Di namo dawaton ang barangay clearance, cedula, police clearance. But NBI clearance, ok ra,” Gujilde said.

To biometrics records will include the voter’s digital photograph, signature and fingerprints. Under Republic Act 10367 or “An Act Providing for Mandatory Biometrics Voter Registration,” voters who fail to submit the biometrics data will be deactivated from the voters’ list and not be allowed to vote.

Of the 2.54 million registered voters in Cebu province, there are reportedly 262,653 voters without or have incomplete biometrics data, Gujilde said. He said they expect a 10 percent increase in registration. (FREEMAN)