E. Visayas voters’ list trimmed down

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines—The list of voters in Eastern Visayas would be shorter by at least 78,000 names as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) implements its “no biometrics, no vote rule,” which was briefly interrupted by a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court.

Records at the Comelec regional office show that 78,325 voters in the region would not be allowed to cast their votes in the May 9 national elections.

“We have done our part to make sure that they could have their biometrics taken,” said lawyer Felicisimo Embalsado, assistant regional Comelec director.

Of this number, at least 25,005 are from Leyte. Embalsado is also the acting Leyte elections supervisor.

Minus these deactivated voters, Eastern Visayas would now have at least 2.69 million registered voters.

Embalsado said the Comelec could not be blamed for the disqualification of the voters.

He said the election body had sent registered mail to voters or, in the absence of postal service, sought help from village officials to disseminate information about the biometrics procedure that the Comelec had made available to voters.

The Comelec, Embalsado said, had also displayed information about the no biometrics, no vote campaign on tarpaulins.