Wednesday, July 25, 2007 Comelec 7 extends registration deadline
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc extended the registration period for the synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.
It also heeded the youth sector’s clamor to transfer the venue of the registration for the SK polls from the local Comelec offices to the barangays for easier access.
In two separate resolutions, the en banc extended the period for registration for the barangay elections to July 31 while the SK registrants will be allowed to enlist on July 28 and 29 and Aug. 4 and 5.
But Comelec Resolution 8257 still requires registrants for the barangay elections to go to the local poll offices for the registration.
Informed
Comelec 7 Director Rene Buac said his office has already informed election officers in the region about the resolution.
Buac said he believes the extension will not affect the date of the synchronized barangay and SK elections, despite the prohibition on registration of voters within 120 days before the date of the election.
“We can adjust the schedule of the registration period because the commission has the residual power to do so, without necessarily altering the date of the elections. Besides, personally I believe Congress doesn’t have the time to change the election date,” he told Sun.Star Cebu.
Filing centers
Comelec Resolution 8256 directs all poll offices to establish filing centers in the barangay halls, public schools or other public buildings located within the barangay for the SK registration.
It also ordered the election officers to create a committee of two public school teachers or civil service employees who will be tasked to accept registration applications.
The members of the receiving committee will be paid P300 a day for four days.
Youth registrants may file their application from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 28 and 29 and Aug. 4 and 5.
Barangay elections registrants who will still not be able to complete the registration process by July 31 but have already filed their application will still have until Aug. 12 to complete the process, as stated in Comelec Resolution 8257. (LCR)
