Commission on Elections Chairperson George Garcia (Noy Morcoso / Inquirer.net filem photo)
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday said that the voter registration period may be suspended in order to facilitate the verification of signatures collected for the People’s Initiative seeking to amend the 1987 Constitution.
The Comelec’s original plan was to open the voter registration period from February 12 to September 30 this year.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia bared that the their preparation for the 2025 elections will be affected should the People’s Initiative for Charter change reach the verification of signatures phase.
“Napakataas ng posibilidad na kapag nagsimula kami ng verification kung sakaling darating sa puntong ‘yan, ‘yun pong registration of voters ay kinakailangan naming i-suspend,” Garcia told reporters in a chance interview.
(The likelihood is very high that if we start the verification process and it reaches that point, we will need to suspend the registration of voters.)
“Paano po makakapag-verify ang mga tao namin kung mayroon kaming registration of voters at parehas na indibidwal ang mga ginagamit?” he added.
(How can our people verify if we have voter registration and the same individuals are being used?)
Garcia said Comelec has 60 days or two months to complete the people’s initiative signatures verification phase.
The Comelec has already started accepting documents containing signatures collected by the people’s initiative for the Charter change, but has yet to conduct the verification process sans a formal petition filed before the poll body.
Extension, delay not possible
Asked if the Comelec can opt just to extend the deadline, Garcia explained that it is not possible as the poll body’s Election Registration Board must still hold a hearing for each registrant — ensuring their qualification as registered voters — before proceeding with the cleansing of the voter list.
The whole process, said Garcia, would take until January or February of 2025.
“Sinasabi ng batas walang registration 120 days before a general election and 90 days before a special elections so ‘yon ang dahilan bakit ‘yon ang timetable,” said Garcia.
(The law specifies that there should be no registration 120 days before a general election and 90 days before special elections. That’s the reason why that timetable is in place.)
“May purpose po at dahilan kung bakit September 30 matatapos ang registration,” he added.
(There is a purpose and reason why registration will conclude on September 30.)
Delaying the start of the registration process is also not an option, according to Garcia, due to their projections that a total of 3 million new voters would register.
May 2025 polls to push through
Despite these problems, Garcia assured the public that the 2025 elections in May will still push through.
“We would still have to conduct the election by may at all costs, kahit magkakaroon ng plebisito as the result of the people’s initiative or a constituent assembly or constitutional convention, the Comelec would still proceed with the may 2025 elections unless ang Constitution mismo ang magbabago,” said Garcia.