Voters’ registration for barangay, SK polls until Apr. 29

Mall-goers fill up Commission on Elections (Comelec) forms at a Taguig mall where satellite voters’ registration centers have been set up.  (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ EDWIN BACASMAS)

MANILA — Haven’t registered as a voter for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections? Do yourself a favor and don’t waIt until the last minute.

The Commission on Elections said Filipinos who have not yet signed up for the polls scheduled to be held in October 2017, could do so until Saturday, April 29.

Comelec chairperson Andres Bautista has stressed that the last day of the voters’ registration will be on Saturday, April 29.

“People usually come in droves on the last day, and it’s one of our usual problems. So we urge them not to wait until the last day. They should file their applications even earlier than that,” he said.

Bautista has reminded the public that offices of the local election officers in towns and cities will still be open on April 27 and 28 for the voters’ registration, even if other government offices will suspend work for the holding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit.

Malacañang earlier announced work suspension in government offices other than the Comelec to give way to the holding of the ASEAN Summit and other related meetings this week in Pasay City.

On Monday, Bautista had a dialogue with students of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Intramuros, Manila, to encourage them to exercise their right of suffrage and register as voters.

The voters’ registration period for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls began on November 7, 2016 and is scheduled to end on April 29.

So far, the Comelec has received 2,174,601 applications for voters’ registration as a result of regular and satellite registration activities in schools and communities all over the country.

Bautista has said there will be no extension of office hours on April 29 and that offices of the local election officer in towns and cities will only accept applications until 5 pm.

Offices of the local election officers will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Saturday (Apr. 29) to accept applications from prospective voters.

“It will be only until 5 p.m. And the voters’ registration machine can only accommodate 250 applications a day so they shouldn’t wait until the last minute,” Bautista said.

The Comelec is still continuing its preparations for the October 23 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls since no law has been passed formally postponing them to another year.

Meanwhile, the poll body’s Education and Information Department will visit various offices of the local election officers in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

Teams will be inspecting the local election offices in San Pascual, Bauan and Batangas City in Batangas on April 26, Taguig City and the satellite registration office at the People’s Center at the Muntinlupa City Hall on April 27; and some cities in Pangasinan on April 28.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said they would interview voters filing their applications, with the interviews to be streamed live on the poll body’s official Facebook page.

“It’s critical that we try to amplify and disseminate the motivations of people who are in line for voters’ registration so as to encourage those who haven’t registered yet,” he stressed.  SFM/rga