MANILA, Philippines--The 691 ``centenarians” reported in Taguig City may vote in the 2010 elections despite allegations that many of them were ghost voters, a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official said Wednesday.

“Until we receive a notice of death, the Comelec has no basis to delete them [from the voters’ list],” Comelec-Taguig election officer Marcos Lauron told the Inquirer.

Lauron said it was impossible to invalidate all the 691 centenarian voters since it would take time to investigate each case.

“These people can vote next year as long as they were able to vote in the past two elections and if they [can] present [valid] identification,” he added.

The existence in Taguig City of 691 voters aged 100 years old and above was earlier exposed by Institute for Political and Electoral Reform president and former Akbayan party-list Rep. Etta Rosales.

Comelec officials, however, said it was possible that this may have been caused by a computer program. They explained that whenever registrants fail to write down their date of birth, the computer automatically lists down their birthday as Jan. 1, 1901.

Lauron explained that the Comelec used to accept the registration applications of would-be voters even if they did not fill out the space for their birthday.

“If there’s something we can assure [the public], [in] the latest registration where we have biometrics, the actual birth date is already there,” he said.

Taguig Mayor Freddie Tinga, meanwhile, urged the Comelec to look into the matter and to disenfranchise illegal voters.

“Should the irregularity prove to be a technical or computer error, it would only show how haphazard the registration and voter listing processes have been. We have questioned time and again the registration process here in Taguig, where illegal registrants have been [included in] the voters’ lists,” he said.

A representative of the city government and a television reporter went around the city on Tuesday to verify whether some of the centenarians in the voters’ list actually existed.

They first went to the house of Rosalyn Ricafort Galvez, a 127-year-old voter who lived at Block 32, Lot 47 on Sunflower St., Western Bicutan.

However, no one named Galvez lived at the address.

They next went to the house of Belinda Sala at 21-D Ambal St. in Western Bicutan who listed her date of birth as Jan. 1, 1901.

They found out that Sala was only in her late 40s and had since moved to Pasig City.

Despite their findings, Lauron said the Comelec was already pressed for time and that it would be unable to check on all the centenarians.

“But concerned people can also inform us so we can verify the person on the list and require him to produce the necessary document,” he said.

Meanwhile, soldiers based in Fort Bonifacio will be allowed to vote in Taguig if they can show proof of residency.

According to Lauron, military men may register in Taguig City if they can present a certification from the Armed Forces of the Philippines that their tour of duty in the area will last a minimum of six months.

He issued the clarification after Vice Mayor George Elias questioned the registration of more than 200 enlisted personnel in Fort Bonifacio.

He argued that the enlisted personnel, who listed their address as either the Bonifacio Naval Station, Marine barracks and Army barracks, were not valid Taguig residents.

“We are not admitting all the soldiers … only those who have written proof from their commanding officer. The absentee voters are the ones who are on actual assignments elsewhere but those who are in Fort Bonifacio may register in Taguig City,” Lauron said.