Priests asked to tweet

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has called on priests and pastors on social networking sites to encourage their flock to register for the barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in October.

On his Twitter account, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez posted, “Dear priests and pastors who are also on Twitter, could you please encourage your congregation to go to the #voterRegistration after service?”

Applicants have only until Wednesday to enlist to be able to participate in the synchronized balloting to be held less than three months from now. Comelec Chair Sixto Brillantes Jr. announced over the weekend that the commission was not extending the registration period beyond July 31.

The Comelec had assessed that roughly 700,000 applicants will register for the barangay elections in October while another two million young people, aged 15 to 17, will line up to log in as voters for the youth council balloting.—Jocelyn R. Uy