Big damper from Comelec: Late registrants unsure of voting

CEBU, Philippines - Late registrants might lose a chance to vote in the May 2010 national elections, according to a local official of the Commission on Elections.

Cebu City south district assistant election officer Bernard Delos Reyes said those who were registered from October 1 to 31, 2009 are not yet assured of the privilege to vote in the next elections.

“Di pa g’yud na sure na maka-botar sila. I-hearing pa man na,” Delos Reyes said.

As expected, long queues at the election offices of the north and south districts greeted yesterday’s last day of voter’s registrations in the city.

“This has always been like this every last day of the registration,” he said.

At the election office of south district, which composes 34 barangays, over 500 people lined up as of 6 p.m. to register.

But Delos Reyes told The FREEMAN that his office cannot accommodate all of them even up to the cutoff period of 12 a.m.

In the north district, assistant election officer Tessie Mercado said hundreds of applicants are still lining up at their office as of 6 p.m.

Delos Reyes they cannot understand as to why some voters would always want to register on the last day of the registration when they have at least a year to register.

He said that as of 6 p.m. yesterday, they have already accommodated more than 700 applicants, excluding those still lining up to register.

On ordinary days, he said, they can only accommodate 300 to 500 applicants a day.

Delos Reyes said they have already enlisted 226,872 registered voters since December 2, 2008 to September 30, 2009.

Of the figure, there are 43,981 first-time voters, Delos Reyes said, stressing that majority of the applicants were youngsters, followed by senior citizens and disabled persons.

He said they have even exceeded their registration target. For the 2007 elections, he said they were able to register more than 262,000 voters.

In the north district, Mercado said they have already registered 226,159 applicants from 46 barangays as of September 30. There were 219,391 registered voters for the 2007 barangay elections, she said.

Warehouse helper Rico Niño Bolambao, 23, of Labangon said he and his coworkers decided to register on the last day because they were busy with their work.

Bolambao said they were only allowed by their manager to register yesterday afternoon.

A woman who was assisting her disabled brother said they just learned about the incentive from Mayor Tomas Osmeña through the Department of Social Welfare and Development so they rushed to the Comelec office to register.

A young applicant, who refused to give his name, said he was only depending on his sisters when to register. He and his sister were registered yesterday.

Most of the applicants interviewed by The FREEMAN said they only have time to register yesterday because of their hectic schedule.

Cebu provincial election supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano expressed dismay over the failure of some voters in the province to register yesterday.

Castillano said it was their intention to register all applicants but due to the large number of registrants, they can’t accommodate them all.

He said large numbers were noted in Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City and in other component cities in the province, explaining that the offices in those areas can only accommodate 1,000 to 1,800 registrants.

Castillano had advised the election officers in Cebu City and Lapu-Lapu City to limit the registrants.

“Ako g’yud silang gipasidan-an kay lisod kaayo kung atong hatagan og false hope ang mga botante, muabot sa tungang gabii unya dili gihapon marehistro,” Castillano said.

But he also apologized to those who have failed to register.

“Pasensiya na lang gyud ta kay we have also our own limitations but we tried our best nga kamong tanan marehistro, pero dili gyud madala tungod sa kadaghan sa mga nagparehistro.” — /LPM   (FREEMAN NEWS)