MANILA, Philippines—The newly-installed Kabataan party list will ask the House of Representatives to call on the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to extend the registration of first-time voters from October to December this year.

Representative Raymond Palatino also broached the idea of tapping personalities, such as boxing champ Manny Pacquiao, to encourage the youth to register.

Palatino said he was “alarmed” that only 10 percent of some 11 million expected first-time voters have so far registered with the poll body with just five months to go before the deadline.
The two months extension could accommodate more registrants coupled with stepped up information campaign to encourage the youth to register, Palatino said at the weekly press conference of the minority bloc.

He said that this year, the youth vote was expected to comprise almost 40 percent of the voting population.

”Such is the influence of the youth that we can set the tone and agenda for 2010,” he said, noting that it was important that they participate in the electoral process.

The Kabataang Pinoy, the youth arm of the party list group, earlier filed the same petition before the poll body seeking the extension of registration up to December.