TO prevent the multiple registration of voters, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is pushing for the enhancement of biometrics registration in the country.
In a televised public briefing, Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco yesterday said they are pushing for the passage of a law that will require more biometrics data.
“We are pushing for a law that will be called an expanded automated biometrics identification system,” said Laudiangco. “What we want is to register more biometrics data, particularly iris scanning and capturing 10 fingers.”
Biometrics data currently required from registered voters are digital signatures, picture, and the fingerprints of two thumbs and two index fingers.
Biometrics data of voters are being used by the Comelec in cleansing the voters’ list through its Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS).
Under the AFIS, 491,017 double/multiple registrants were detected by the Comelec after the January 2023 voters registration period.
Of the total, 118,178 multiple registrants have been found to have applied more than once “by design.”
Laudiangco said another round of cleansing is set for next month.
“In case there are those that were able to evade (the first round), on July 27, we will have another round that will ensure that our list will be clean,” he said.
He said the second round of cleansing will involve citizens’ arm groups, namely, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting and the National Movement for Free Elections.
“We will check the list of registered voters to make sure that the dead, double registrants and others that need to be excluded are removed so that the voters’ list will be clean come October 30,” said Laudiangco.
