HOURS before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) officially announced the extension of the voter registration period for the May 2022 elections, Dabawenyos flocked to the registration site early dawn, with health protocols no longer properly observed.
In the middle of the night, people were seen queuing outside Magsaysay Park, where the Comelec office is located, to get priority numbers to beat the voter's registration deadline initially set on Thursday, September 30, 2021.
Deployed authorities in the area can be seen having a hard time ensuring that minimum public health standards are being observed. Some Covid-19 health safety protocols like social distancing, as seen in the pictures, were not being observed.
Some registrants have commented online airing their disappointment with Comelec’s “irregularities” and “lack of system” in the registration.
Lawyer Gay Enumerables, Comelec-Davao assistant regional director, said in a radio interview on Wednesday morning, September 29, despite their previous campaigns for the public to register early, they were still expecting people would flock to the Comelec offices days before the deadline.
"Actually, wala pa kaayo tao ang Comelec tong mga previous months (there were only a few registrants who visited Comelec during the previous months)," she said in an interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio.
The official also admitted receiving calls asking if they can be prioritized in the line.
"Ang singit dinha, di na pwede kay init kaayo sa mata sa mga tao nga nagpila og ala-una sa kadlawon, ala una ba o alas kwarto," she said.
(Jumping the line is not allowed since people who lined up as early as 1 a.m. or 4 a.m. would be furious.)
Enumerables also revealed that based on their experience in the previous elections, whenever there are extensions, only a few people come back or few people visit their office.
Although she said on days that are closer to the deadline, they would expect an influx of people.
Due to the limitation of manpower and the compliance to Covid-19 health protocols set by the national government, Enumerables said they had to limit the number of transactions they can cater to on a single day.
Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) head Angel Sumagaysay told SunStar Davao in a text message that the Sta. Ana Police Station had been coordinating with Comelec in anticipation of the influx of registrants.
“Naobserbahan nato to tungod lage nga last minutes for voters registration. (We observed that there will be an influx of last minute registrants) What we did, we directed the station commander of the Sta. Ana Police Station to coordinate with Comelec officer para maka himo sila ug scheme na maregulate ang tao kay gadasok na (to prepare a scheme to regulate and prevent people from crowding),” Sumagaysay said.
He also said they deployed additional security personnel to monitor the area. They also added steel railings.
Covid-19 Task Force spokesperson Dr. Michelle Schlosser said in a radio interview that the event can be a “super spreader event” if health protocols would not be properly observed.
Schlosser said there must be intensified police monitoring to ensure health standards would be properly observed.
Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said in a radio interview on Monday, September 27, that those who lined up early dawn are exempted from the 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew.
"Because naay deadline atong Comelec sa rehistro. (Comelec registration has a deadline.) We already also referred that sa (to our) prevention and enforcement group sa (of the) response cluster sa pag-maintain sa (in maintaining the observance of physical) distancing," Duterte-Carpio said.
Extended
Meanwhile, the voter registration period for the May 2022 elections will be extended, Comelec Chairman Sheriff Abas said in a television interview Wednesday, September 29, 2021.
Abas said in an interview over CNN Philippines that voter registration will end as scheduled on Thursday, September 30, but will resume from October 9 to 31, 2021, or after the filing of certificates of candidacy from October 1 to 8.
Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez announced in a social media post Tuesday evening, September 28, that the Comelec en banc was scheduled to deliberate Wednesday the public clamor for extension of voter registration.
“After consultation with Comelec officials, and in consideration of the public clamor, it is likely that an extension of the period of voter registration will be granted,” Jimenez said.
Long queues of voters seeking to register have been forming in front of Comelec offices since last week, with some applicants joining the line at dawn.
The House of Representatives on Monday, September 27, unanimously approved on third and final reading a bill extending the voter registration period for one month.
House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco cited data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, which showed that 73 million voters are qualified to participate in the May 2022 elections.
As of August 23, however, Velasco said around 12 million voters had not registered. He noted that the Comelec reported that there were around 61 million registered voters nationwide.
Velasco noted that voter registration was suspended for six months in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was again suspended for several weeks in 2021 as several areas were again placed under stricter quarantine restrictions. With reports from SunStar Philippines