ARMM ready for new voters’ list-up, says Hataman

KORONADAL CITY—Acting Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Mujiv Hataman expressed confidence that the region’s reputation as the country’s poll cheating capital would be erased soon as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) conducts a re-registration of voters.

“We are ready for the general registration. We want to address that public perception,” Hataman said Sunday. “There will be doubts in the result of the elections if the voters’ lists are not clean,” he added.

The Senate earlier approved at the committee level a resolution annulling the original voters’ list and allowing the Comelec to conduct a re-registration.

The Comelec will spend over P174 million to purchase 1,018 voters registration machines to be used for the re-registration on July 9 to 18. The agency will also procure electric generator sets in case of brownouts.

The Comelec has savings of P4.73 billion, which include the P462 million appropriated and authorized budget intended for the canceled ARMM elections last year.—Jeoffrey Maitem