Comelec told to answer plea on extending voter listing to January

THE Supreme Court has ordered the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to comment on the petition filed by the Kabataan partylist group which seeks to extend the registration of voters up to January next year.

At a press conference, the high court gave Comelec 10 days to comment on the petition filed by Kabataan party-list through Representative Terry Ridon and his group.

“The Court directed respondent Commission on Elections (Comelec) to comment on the petition for certiorari and mandamus with application for preliminary mandatory injunction and/or temporary restraining order within a non-extendible period of 10 days from notice of resolution,” the high court said in a resolution issued during its regular en banc session on Tuesday.

The petitioners want to extend registration of up to Jan. 8, 2016.

At the same time, the group asked the high court to nullify Comelec resolutions 9853 and 9981. Both resolutions fixed the deadline of application of registration of voters on Oct. 31.

Petitioners said Section 8 of the Voter Registration Act provides that “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.”

“Despite this provision, Comelec has illegally set the deadline of the voter’s registration on October 31, 2015, pursuant to Resolution No. 9853 and Resolution No. 9981,” petitioners led by Ridon said.

The Oct. 31 deadline, according to petitioners, is 69 days less than what is prescribed under the law.

Petitioners added that the high court, in 2009, has allowed the extension of voter registration.

Aside from Ridon, other petitioners are Sarah Jane Elago, national president of the National Union of Students of the Philippines; Vencer Crisostomo, chairperson of Anakbayan; Marjohara Tucay, national president of Kabataan Party-list; Marc Lino Abila, national president of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines; Lean Porquia, national president of the BPO Industry Employees Network; Charisse Bañez, chairperson of the League of Filipino Students, and UP student Enriko Caramat.