Comelec's decision on satellite registration in jails out soon

CEBU, Philippines – A local official of the Commission on Elections yesterday said that if the proposal to hold a satellite registration in jails succeeds, it would be the first of its kind in Cebu.

Provincial Election Officer Lionel Marco Castillano said the plan of Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento to allow inmates to register and cast their ballots inside jails is more practical lesser security risk than bringing them outside to either register or vote.

But Castillano said the proposal would still need a resolution from the Comelec en banc. And since their meetings are every Tuesdays and Thursdays, he is expecting that their national office will come up with a decision on the mater next week.

Earlier, the Comelec en banc has issued a resolution allowing prisoners who have yet to receive their final convictions to exercise their right of suffrage.

As such, the Comelec is looking at registering about 45,000 inmates detained in various jails in the country.

Sarmiento, who heads the committee on Detainee Registration and Voting, said the Comelec plans to set up satellite registration centers to accommodate the registration and transfer of registration records of the prisoners even without a court order. The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology would identify the jails where the registration should be held.

Those who will be allowed to register and vote are only qualified residents of the city or municipality where they are incarcerated.

On the other hand, detainees could only vote through a court order since they would require police escorts if they go outside of jail premises.

The resolution also said that only escorted voting will be allowed since satellite voting outside the regular voting area is not allowed.

Satellite voting is disallowed since the law prohibits the bringing of ballots outside voting precincts, so these detainees belongs to escorted voting But the Comelec was set to urge Congress to pass a bill that would allow voting in jail compounds, specifically in the office of the jail warden, in order to minimize logistical requirements.

Those registered inmates who received their final verdict before the May 10 polls, would no longer allowed to vote. Meaning, if the detainee, is registered but is convicted before May 10, he will be disqualified since he was sentenced already, the Comelec concluded.

Once the proposal to hold a satellite registration and voting in jails is approved, Castillano said the Cebu City Jail in barangay Kalunasan is the most probable jail that would be chosen as the venue. — Barbara Anne B. Ocaba, STC Masscom Intern/WAB (THE FREEMAN)