FILE PHOTO: Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Rowena Guanzon.
MANILA, Philippines — Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Rowena Guanzon has an appeal to people who wish to register or reactivate their voter status: “Don’t wait until the last minute.”
This comes as the Comelec en banc unanimously approved the extension of voter registration for the 2022 national elections from the original deadline of September 30 to October 30.
The voter registration period will resume on October 11.
“Kaya nga po nag-extend kami kahit napakahirap para sa mga tao namin pero kailangan ninyo kaya sana naman po ‘wag na silang maghintay ng last minute na naman,” Guanzon said in an interview with Teleradyo on Friday.
(We extended even if it is difficult for our staff because you need it so hopefully, the public won’t wait until the last minute again.)
READ: Comelec en banc ‘unanimously approves’ voter registration extension — Jimenez
Comelec said around 62 million Filipinos are currently considered registered voters.
The extension would not only cater to those who want to register as voters as it would also accommodate those who wish to reactivate their voter status.
Guanzon said the voter status of around 7.2 million people has been deactivated after failing to vote in the previous two elections. So far, she added, around 880,000 have reactivated their voter status.
“‘Yung inyong reactivation eh sa email na lang. Pati ‘yung inyong pagsusumpa, nasa video na rin,” Guanzon said.
(Your reactivation will happen through email. Even your oath-taking will be in video form.)