Comelec considers removing barangay certification for voter registration

Commission on Elections Chairperson George Garcia speaks during a press briefing at the Comelec Central Office in Manila, in this file photo taken on November 30, 2023. | INQUIRER.net file photo / NOY MORCOSO

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Tuesday that it is mulling whether to remove the barangay certification as a requirement for voter registration.

According to Comelec Chairperson George Garcia, this was due to some incidents in which some citizens attempted to register even though they were still not of voting age.

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“I’ll be very honest sa inyong lahat na pinag-iisipan na ng inyong Commission en banc ang pag-aalis ng barangay certificate bilang requirement sa pagpaparehistro kaya lamang dapat rin nating maisip na baka kasi masabi ng iba nating kababayan lalo ‘yong mga kababayan nating mga mahihirap na wala kasi silang ibang pagkakakilanlan o ilang government-issued ID,” Garcia said in an ambush interview.

(I’ll be very honest with you all. The Comelec en banc is considering whether to remove the barangay certificate as a registration requirement, but we should also bear in mind that some of our fellows, especially the poor, may say that they can’t register because they don’t have identification or government-issued IDs.)

Currently, one requirement that the public can present as an identification document is a barangay identification or certification with a photograph.

Garcia, however, added that this speculative rule may be an additional expense for the poor, which can hinder their right to vote.

“Oobligahin natin sila, siyempre dagdag na gastos sa kanila ‘yon na as compared sa isang barangay certification, so gusto lang natin i-equalizer ang lahat at tatandaan natin, ang pagboto kasi ay isang karapatan,” he added.

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(If we oblige them, of course that’s an additional expense to them as compared to a barangay certification, so we want to equalize all, as voting is a right.)

The Comelec’s voter registration will be until September 30, 2024 in anticipation of the 2025 midterm elections.