WHEN the Commission on Elections (Comelec) resumes its nationwide voter registration activities in July, barangay certifications will no longer be accepted as proof of identity and residency of applicants, Elections chairman George Garcia said yesterday.
The Comelec has set the resumption of voter registration activities for the December 2025 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) from July 1 to 11.
In a media forum in Manila, Garcia said the poll body is set to delist barangay certifications among the accepted identification documents when applying to become a registered voter.
“For the first time, we won’t be accepting them as we will remove them from those enumerated as accepted proof of residency,” Garcia said, explaining the move is intended to prevent instances when barangay certificates are “weaponized” to register non-residents of the area as voters.
“In our previous investigations, we found out that it (barangay certificate) is being weaponized to haul in voters from other areas and make it appear that they reside there, and are applying for transfer of registration,” he said.
Barangay certifications are among the documents previously accepted by the Comelec as proof of identity and residency for voter registration.
Also in the list are the national identification (ID) card, postal ID, persons with disability ID, student ID or library card, senior citizen’s ID, driver’s license or student permit, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance, Philippine passport; Social Security System (SSS) or Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) or other unified multi-purpose ID, Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) ID, Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) ID, and certificate of confirmation issued by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).
“Since barangay certifications also have costs, it would be better if they just apply for a postal ID or senior citizens ID or student ID,” Garcia said.
