Brillantes laments low turnout of registrants

MANILA -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is not satisfied with the turnout for voter registration, three months after the registration period started.

In a press briefing on Monday morning, Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said there is a need to reach out to the voters to increase the number of registrants for the 2016 presidential elections.

"Hindi malaki ang turnout for the past three months," Brillantes said. "This is not what we expected."

So far, around 500,000 new voters have registered with the Comelec, way behind the 9.3 million registrants being targeted by the poll body.

Aside from new voters for the 2016 polls, the Comelec is also targeting around 7.3 million previously registered voters who have yet to submit their biometrics data.

The law states that registered voters who have failed to have their biometrics taken before the May 2016 polls will be deactivated from the voters' lists.

Meanwhile, this September 6, the Comelec will be launching its satellite registration booths in select Robinsons malls in Metro Manila to increase the turnout for registration and biometrics capturing.

Brillantes said opening the satellite booths is a way to make registration more accessible to the public. The satellite booths in malls will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will only cater to the voters who live in the city where the mall is located.

The registration period for the 2016 polls will be until October 15, 2015.