Nearly 5M voters have yet to register

MANILA, Philippines–Unless they enter their biometrics data into the Commission on Elections (Comelec) voters’ list, close to 5 million registered voters may not be allowed to cast ballots in the 2016 elections.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said that of the 52 million registered voters, 4.7 million had yet to enrol their biometrics data consisting of digital fingerprints, photo and signature, with the poll body.

Per Comelec Resolution No. 9853, voters have until October 31, 2015, for the registration and validation of their biometrics data, which is meant to clean up the computerized voters’ list using a unique multiple fingerprint system. The biometrics information will then generate a voter’s ID and set up a database that will identify voters in future elections.

From 9.3 million in May last year, 4.7 million voters still have no biometrics, Jimenez said in his Twitter account @jabjimenez. “Di sila makakaboto kung di sila #magpaBIOMETRICS. #NoBioNoBoto (they cannot vote without the biometrics),” he said.

Jimenez is calling particularly on voters who registered before the 2004 elections, when capturing biometrics was introduced, to check on the status of their registration.

The Comelec earlier said that validating the records of all registered voters via biometrics was called for under Republic Act No. 10367, the Mandatory Biometrics Registration Act.

RA 10367 states that voters who fail to submit for validation prior to the May 2016 elections shall be deactivated from the voters’ list and shall not be allowed to vote.