Sunday, December 31, 2006 Comelec adjusts to register more first-time voters
WITH last-minute registrants coming by the thousands, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) granted leeway by allowing them to finish the process up to Jan. 7 next year.
But Cebu City North District Election Officer Marchel Sarno clarified it is not an extension of the Dec. 31 deadline for voters’ registration.
What the Comelec central office allowed, he said, is for those who have filled out registration forms before 5 p.m. yesterday and today to come back next year if they can no longer be accommodated.
Comelec Manila Officer-in-charge Resurreccion Z. Borra signed the memorandum dated Dec. 29, allowing election officers to implement the change.
Last Thursday, a total of 560 registrants were registered and 791 were accommodated last Friday. Still, many were turned down and told to come back the next day.
Sarno said he did not expect to have so many registrants yesterday because of a heavy downpour.
Though wet in the rain, not one left the long queue even after he advised them to go home and just return today.
“I’m just thankful that the registrants seem to have come at their own will, dili mga hinakot bitaw (and not because they were told to). And they listen when we gave instructions so there’s not much trouble going on outside,” he told Sun.Star Cebu.
There was a commotion yesterday morning caused by some who tried to get in line ahead of those who came early, but Sarno said he managed to settle it.
After hearing over the radio about the situation, Cebu City Administrator Francisco Fernandez proceeded to the local poll office along Osmeña Blvd., and asked City Department of Public Services (DPS) Chief Dionisio Gualiza to set up four more tents outside the WDC Building.
He also authorized the release of P20,000 from the mayor’s discretionary funds to reproduce more registration forms, which already ran out.
A portion of the amount will also be used to buy meals for some 100 Comelec personnel who worked overtime yesterday and will do so again today, the last day of registration.
In the memorandum, Borra said that Comelec personnel all over the country can no longer accommodate all applicants because of the large number of registrants, prompting them to make adjustments.
Registration in all Comelec offices will still end at 5 p.m. today.
But Sarno said they might set a cut-off time of either 10 a.m. or 12 noon. Only those who received the forms before the cut-off time can register.
But those within a 30-meter radius of the Comelec office before 5 p.m. will get priority numbers, and their names will be listed in a logbook.
Those in the list can come back on Jan. 2 to 7 to complete their application, Sarno said. (LCR)
