BAKUD seeking Comelec probe into alleged double registration

CEBU, Philippines — The Barug Alang sa Kauswagan ug Demokrasya (BAKUD) party of the 5th district of the Province of Cebu has asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to investigate their findings of more than 2,000 double registrations in the district.

In a letter addressed to Comelec Chairperson George Garcia, BAKUD Secretary-General Adano T. Roble requested that the commission conduct a proper investigation and issue notices to the persons concerned for the purpose of delisting them and preventing double voting today, May 12, 2025.

The party was supposed to file the necessary requests for delisting but was unable to due to time constraints.

“Much as we wanted to, the BAKUD Party could not initiate the filing of the necessary cases due to the limited time available since we discovered the same,” Roble said.

Atty. Guiller Ceniza, BAKUD party legal counsel, disclosed that when he went to the Comelec office, he saw that some voters were double registrants—registered in one precinct and still listed in another municipality.

“Perting daghana ana nga presinto nya nagkalain-lain raba nga mga municipalities diri sa Fifth District," he said.

Ceniza said they wrote directly to Comelec since the period to file petitions for the exclusion of voters is already done.

"So humana man ang period to file a petition for exclusion, (but) naa na ang mga pangan gihapon. So ato’ng gibuhat run, atong gipadad-an og letter ang COMELEC plus atong lista… nya lista raba ni nga dili ngan lang, kundi naa gyud ang tagsa-tagsa… makita gyud unsay precinct number, unsa na barangay, precinto ug municipality," he disclosed.

"Then nagsunod ang mga pangan kay ato mana gi-alphabetical, sus kay nagsunod man gyud pareha og mga pangan lain-lain og registration. Ato nang gi-kwenta, mga dos mil kapin,” Ceniza further revealed.

Ceniza said that the number of double registrants could possibly even go higher than 2,000 spread out all over the district.

On the other hand, to ensure that they are able to do their part to prevent double voters, they have prepared their watchers on the precinct level, particularly those that showed double registrations.

 “So unsa ang gibuhat nato karon? Gawas atong letter padala tag sulat sa COMELEC, nagprepare ta karon og mga protests, adto nana sya kumbatihon nato on the precinct level na," he said. (CEBU NEWS)