Romualdez: Comelec’s innovative register-anywhere project ensures equality

House Speaker Martin Romualdez. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

MANILA, Philippines — The Register Anywhere Project (RAP) of the Commission on Election (Comelec) ensures equality among voters as it eases registration procedures that tend to be tedious, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said on Tuesday.

Romualdez, during the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the House and Comelec for the RAP site said that the program allows voters from different areas to skip long queues in their respective Comelec district offices, as they can opt for these remote application sites.

This, in turn opens the way for more people to get registered, leveling the playing field for Filipinos.

“It’s only during the period of elections that economic demarcation is actually erased because this is the time each and every voter is identified as an equal Filipino, that every Filipino kahit sino ka man, may boto (whoever you are, you have a vote). So this whole system of the RAP, as Comelec calls it, ensures that equality,” Romualdez said.

“And there is no better way to identify one as a citizen except upon the privilege of suffrage guaranteed by our Constitution,” he added.

Having the RAP at the House complex is a big help for employees and their dependents who can no longer catch traditional registration sites which run during office hours.

Under the said program, voters can visit the remote sites for Comelec transactions like new voter application, change of address, or change of name, regardless if the voter is registered in the said district or area.

For example, the RAP at the House of Representatives can accommodate employees even if they do not reside in Quezon City.

READ: Comelec: New voters can register anywhere 

READ: Comelec’s ‘Register Anywhere Project’ covers inactive voters 

“Gone are the days when new and old voters have to agonize (about) falling in line just to register and sometimes falling prey to some people who take advantage of the system. And now we shall have this innovation here in the House of Representatives to lend its service to new applications, the transfers, the updating and the other needs of the electorate and the voters in making sure that their right to vote, to suffrage is protected,” Romualdez said.

“So that this project of the Comelec is commendable as well as we want every voter to participate in the upcoming and future elections. And we also have the barangay elections that will be held this October so I guess this would be a good way to test this whole system,” he added.

Under the memorandum of understanding signed by Romualdez and Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia, the House would provide a venue for the conduct of the RAP at the House complex and provide meals and antigen tests for 30 Comelec personnel.

In return, Comelec would provide the 30 personnel, 10 voter registration machines, and two laptops.  The program, meanwhile will cater to House lawmakers, House and attached agencies’ personnel, and their relatives and dependents.

Comelec would offer the following transactions:

• New registration
• Transfer of registration
• Transfer of post (for overseas voters)
• Reactivation
• Updating of senior citizen or person with disability status

Earlier, Garcia said that the pilot testing of the RAP at the House is important, as Comelec is looking towards having people cast their vote in more convenient places like malls instead of schools.

This means that lesser schools would be used — preventing the usage and destruction of classrooms — and therefore preserving it for children.  Also, the proposal would mean more comfortable voting sites for those with health problems.

JPV