Comelec cool to voters’ listup in parishes

Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting chair Henrietta de Villa: For voters’ listup in parishes. FILE PHOTO FROM COMELEC.GOV.PH PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is unlikely to grant a proposal to set up satellite registration centers in churches and other worship sites to encourage more Filipinos to register for the 2016 national elections, according to the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV).

Henrietta de Villa, PPCRV chair, said the issue of separation of church and state had been cited as one of the main reasons for the Comelec’s apparent disinterest.

“They [Comelec commissioners] appear to be not inclined to the idea with one raising the issue of the separation of church and state while another said the satellite registrations in barangays (villages) would already suffice,” De Villa told reporters in an interview on Sunday.

Comelec Resolution No. 9853 provides that there should be at least one satellite registration for every barangay in the country. This can be conducted in barangay halls, public or private schools, commercial establishments and other public places within the city or municipality.

The PPCRV, the citizens’ arm of the Comelec, has suggested the setting up of satellite centers in churches and worship areas every Sunday to help in the registration of voters.

“We believe that our proposal will be helpful in having more people registered since there is already a captive audience in these places,” De Villa pointed out.

But she was quick to add that the PPCRV would not insist on its proposal and that it would just request the Comelec to give it a two-week notice before the commencement of voters’ registration in the barangays.

She said this would give parishes more time to announce to the faithful the schedule of the satellite registration in the barangay level.

“We can also post the schedules at bulletin boards in the parishes,” she added.