1-year residency needed for polls

CEBU CITY NORTH district election supervisor Marchel Sarno said Annabelle Rama would only have to prove her residency of at least one year in Cebu City prior to the May 2013 election to qualify for registration.

Residency and election registration are two different things, he explained.

Sarno said that while voters have to be a resident of the place where they claim to live for at least one year to qualify for registration, their registration would be welcomed at the Comelec office anytime within the prescribed period for registration.

Comelec Resolution No. 9149 promulgated on February 22 sets the date for voter registration from May 3 to October 31, 2012.

Aside from first-time voters, persons who want to transfer registration records to a new residence; those who want to change, update or correct entries such as those for newly wed women who changed surnames; and voters whose records were deactivated for failure to vote in the past two elections can also file their applications within the registration period.

They have to bring a valid school or government ID to register.

Community tax certificates (Cedula) and barangay certifications are not accepted.

The Comelec resolution says voter applications must be personally filed at the office of the election officer in the municipal or city office where the applicant resides and wishes to vote.

Sarno said Annabelle Rama was not registered in Cebu city voting records.

He said the role of Comelec to receive applications for voter registration is only ministerial.

Anyone who has complaints about the qualification of a candidate would have the matter forwarded to Comelec Manila for resolution. /Correspondent Edison delos Angeles