Comelec: Over 100T voters in Cebu still have no biometrics

CEBU, Philippines – The Commission on Elections said a total of 111,737 registered voters in Cebu have no biometrics and may not be allowed to vote in the May 2016 elections.

Election officer Ferdinand Gujilde said that Mandaue City has the most number of voters who do not have biometrics. As of August 31, Gujilde said Mandaue City has 21,950 voters without biometrics.

According to Gujilde, the total number of voters without biometrics in Cebu accounts for 4.32 percent of the 2,587,324 current voting population of the province.

“As of August 31, 4.32% of Cebu voters have no biometrics but still, bisan below na mi sa 5% target, padayon gihapon ang among registration. As much as possible mas maayo kung ang tanan makapa biometrics gyud. The right to vote is part of our democracy,” said Gujilde during the Kapihan sa PIA.

“Ang pagpa-biometrics is a voter’s responsibility. The Comelec can only campaign, we encourage, but still it’s the voters who will decide,” he added.

The Comelec said that those who have not their biometrics taken still has until October 31 to do it. Gujilde said they have scheduled new satellite registration in two malls in Mandaue City on September 19 at Gaisano Grand Mall in Barangay Centro and September 26 at Gaisano Capital in Barangay Casuntingan.

There will still be satellite registration at Pacific Mall in Mandaue City on September 18 and 25.

Under the Republic Act 10367, all voter registration records must have biometrics information, which will be captured via Comelec’s Voter Registration Machine.  The VRM makes use of a digital camera, a fingerprint scanner and a signature pad to capture the voter’s biometrics data.

Gujilde said there will be no registration on October 12 to16 to give way for the filing of the certificate of candidacy for national and local positions. —/FPL (FREEMAN)