INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Kabataan Partylist group is set to file on Wednesday a petition asking the Supreme Court to extend voters’ registration.
In a statement, the group said it would file within the day an urgent petition for certiorari and mandamus, with application for mandatory injunction, praying for voters’ registration to continue until January 12.
Today is the last day for those seeking to register for the 2013 elections.
The group’s petition cited Section 8 of the Voter’s Registration Act which states, “The personal filing of application of registration of voters shall be conducted daily in the office of the Election Officer during regular office hours. No registration shall, however, be conducted during the period starting one hundred twenty days before a regular election and ninety days before a special election.”
Kabataan Partylist president and general counsel, lawyer Terry Ridon, argued that the deadline imposed by the Commission on Elections was illegal.
“In 2009, the Supreme Court has already ruled that the Comelec cannot prematurely terminate the continuing registration of voters before the prohibitive period of election registration defined under the law – 120 days before the regular elections,” Ridon explained.
The partylist group sent a letter requesting for the extension of voters’ registration to the Comelec.
“However, we feel that Comelec will again act on this request half-heartedly, that is why we seek relief before the high tribunal today [Wednesday],” said Ridon.