Oro mayor urges voting public to register

WITH only two days left, Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Vicente Emano is urging those who are qualified to vote to register as the City Government has allowed the use of the City Tourism Hall as registration venue to accommodate the huge influx of registrants until October 31.

Emano said he moved the registration venue to a much bigger area since the City Commission on Elections (Comelec) office along Burgos St. is so small.

He, however, warned “flying voters” not to register to avoid being penalized.

“Everyone will be accommodated. Comelec could no longer conduct off site registration because they are running out of time and their personnel are now busy preparing for the 2013 election,” Emano said.

Lawyer Aleli Ramirez, city election officer, earlier said Comelec will also check and identify possible flying voters as they expected a pack of registrants running after the October 31 deadline.

“By using the Automated Finger Print Identification System and other personal biometric information, voters with more than one registration can be easily identified,” Ramirez said.

She said regardless of the number of names they use, they will be identified 99 percent through their thumb print because no two individuals can have the same fingerprints.

Ramirez said after October 31, election offices will be facilitating the cleansing of the official list of registered voters and those who have multiple registrations will be automatically deleted from the official list of voters. (Nicole J. Managbanag)