MANILA – More than 2 million Filipinos have registered to vote ahead of the December 5 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Friday.
“Yung una po naming estimate, yung target po natin ay 1 milyong bagong botante, nalamapasan na po natin ito nung kalahati pa lang ng ating pagtatala. Ngayon po nakapag-set po kami ng panibagong target na mahigit 2 million nalampasan na rin po natin ito. Dahil nga tayo po as of July 20 ay nasa 2,119,878 na po,” spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco told TeleRadyo.
"Our first target was 1 million voters. We met this less than halfway into our registration period. Then we set a new target of 2 million, and we exceeded this, too--we are now at 2,119,878 new registrants as of July 20.)
The poll body opened voter registration on July 3 ahead of the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in December. The last day of voter registration is on Saturday, July 23.
The official said they have to follow the law with regards to voter registration, amid reports that some Filipinos have fallen in line for long hours just to sign up for voting.
Under Republic Act 8189 or the System of Continuing Registration Act, the new voter registration, and the creation of new precincts or changing existing ones are prohibited 120 days before an election. That day is on August 7, 2022, Laudiangco said.
He explained, “Ipinapaskil po namin, last day to post po lahat ng applications, public po kasi ‘to, kailangan ipaskil, ay sa July 25. Yung last day din po para magfile ng opposition, dahil nga po itoy application, pwede po mag-oppose hanggang July 28. At ang Election Rgeistration Board hearing ay sa August 1.”
“Pagkatapos po ng lahat ng…(meron) po ang Comelec ng apat na araw, August 2 hanggang August 6 para gumawa ng bagong presinto, ayusin ang mga existing na presinto at ipaapruba yung project of precincts.”
(The last day for posting applications--this is public--so we need to post this-- ison July 25. The last day to file an opposition is on July 28. The Election Registration Board hearing is on August 1. After this, Comelec has 4 days, from August 2 to 6, to create new precincts, make changes to existing ones, and have these approved.)
--TeleRadyo, 22 July 2022