Comelec to continue voters’ registration

MANILA, Philippines—The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday said it was no longer postponing the voters’ registration for the 2016 presidential elections, which was initially set to give way to the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls.

In an interview with reporters, Comelec Chair Sixto Brillantes Jr. said the en banc was recalling a resolution it issued temporarily stopping the enlisting of voters for the national elections for the entire month of February as lawmakers were inclined to push back further the youth council elections.

“We are almost sure that the SK elections will be postponed. We have some reports also that the President will sign the postponement so that is no longer a problem,” said Brillantes, who is scheduled to retire on Feb. 2.

Earlier, the commission en banc issued Resolution No. 9905 suspending voter registration from Feb. 1 to Feb. 28 to give way to the SK elections scheduled on Feb. 21.

Election laws dictate that no registration shall be conducted 120 days before a regular elections and 90 days before a special elections.

But last week, the Senate committee on local government passed the bill deferring the SK elections to October 2016. A similar measure has been passed on third and final reading at the House of Representatives.