Tuesday, January 02, 2007 New voters have until Jan. 7 to finish requirements
AFTER a hectic week, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Cebu City personnel ended their last day of work for the year yesterday with hundreds of registrants still unable to complete their registration.
But city election officer for the north district Marchel Sarno assured those who were able to make it to the 5 p.m. deadline that they can finish their registration up to Jan. 7.
The Cebu City poll offices set a 10 a.m. deadline yesterday for the registrants’ use of the data capturing machines (DCMs).
Only those who were able to fall in line at the Comelec by 10 a.m. were able to complete their registration.
After 10 a.m., all the registrants who were at the Comelec office along Osmeña Blvd. were still accommodated and were given registration forms, but they were no longer able to have their biometrics taken by the DCMs.
They will be allowed to complete the registration process from Jan. 2 to 7 only.
“Their application is still considered incomplete because their biometrics, photo and personal data were not encoded in the computers. If they fail to finish the process before Jan. 7, we will recommend the disapproval of their application,” Sarno warned.
Despite the heavy downpour last Saturday, thousands of last-minute registrants lined up at the Comelec Cebu City offices, but only some 1,500 were registered on that day.
After the registration period, all applications for registration will be submitted to the Election Registration Board (ERB).
In a memorandum dated Dec. 29, Comelec Manila office-in-charge Resurreccion Borra set Jan. 4 as the last day for the filing of opposition to applications for registration.
The hearing and subsequent approval and disapproval of the applications by ERB will run from Jan. 8 to 12. (LCR)
