Comelec: No extension of voter registration for barangay, SK polls

Comelec headquarters in Intramuros, Manila.

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is not keen on extending the deadline of the voter registration for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) on Jan. 31, an official said Wednesday.

Comelec spokesman Rex Laudiangco said the agency is not seeing any legal and factual basis to extend the registration period.

“Sa ngayon kami ni Comelec chairman [Erwin] Garcia at ang buong Commission en Banc ay wala pang nakikitang legal at factual basis para mag-extend,” he said in a public briefing.

(For now, we are not seeing any legal or factual basis to extend the registration.)

Laudiangco said the public has been given ample time to get registered as registration started as early as Dec. 12 last year.

However, he lamented that the public did not get registered immediately and registration only picked up by the second week of January.

“Nilangaw kami. Halos walang nagpapa-rehistro kahit nasa mall na kami, nasa barangay halos walang nagpaparehistro. Nag-peak lang ito, nag-simulang tumaas noong 2nd week of January,” Laudiangco said.

(There were almost no registrants when we started on Dec. 12 even though we were already in malls and barangays. Registration only picked up by the second week of January.)

“So una sa lahat, mahaba at sapat ang panahon,” he added.

(So first of all, there was ample time for them to get registered.)

The Comelec is also waiting for the Supreme Court to act on the constitutionality of the Republic Act No. 1195 which moves the election date to Oct. 30.

“Kung sakaling mag-decision ang Supreme Court na mas maaga sa Oktubre ang halalan, ay definitely wala na talaga tayong registration,” he said.

(If the Supreme Court decides that the elections will be held earlier than October, definitely we will not have registration.)

Laudiangco explained that voter registration is not allowed 120 days before an election.

Comelec earlier said it has surpassed its target to register 1.5 million new voters in time for the Oct. 30 village and youth elections.

As of Jan. 22, a total of 1,537,872 voter applications have been filed nationwide since the registration resumed on Dec. 12.

JMS