`We hope, however, that the extension will prod Filipino voters to avail themselves of the opportunity to register and to vote, because the 2022 elections are crucial to the nation’s democracy and the economy’s recovery from the ravages brought by the pandemic.’
THERE has lately been some sort of haggling between the Legislative branch and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on the issue of extension of voter registration which should have ended today, Sept. 30.
Both the senators and the representatives wanted to extend the listing period and feeling the pressure, commissioners of the Comelec en banc initially softened their no-extension deadline to perhaps an extension of one week, which they touted in the Senate.
In the House of Representatives while their election-year budget was on the line, the Comelec officials were cajoled into promising an en banc meeting to talk about extending it for one month. The message is that the Comelec commissioners and directors are willing to accommodate the legislators to ensure early and smooth passage of their P26.97-billion budget.
The COVID-19 pandemic obviously got in the way of the Comelec’s preparations for the coming May 2022 national and local elections. We note that the epidemic caused untold delays in the registration of new voters, voter transfer and reactivation. These activities were stayed for almost five months, substantially eating into the election calendar.
Registration today is done by computers and machines capturing one’s biometrics and these machines can process only a certain number of applicants a day.
A deadline for voter listing is imposed because the poll body still has to complete the Project of Precincts (POP) or the allocation of voters per precinct to satisfy the requirements of voting machine capability, social distancing and other health protocols, and a democratic and orderly system of voting.
The lawmakers have insisted that a one-month extension of the listing can still be accommodated by the Comelec, if they only manage their time and personnel well.
We hope, however, that the extension will prod Filipino voters to avail themselves of the opportunity to register and to vote, because the 2022 elections are crucial to the nation’s democracy and the economy’s recovery from the ravages brought by the pandemic.
