Over 9 M voters face delisting

MANILA, Philippines - Over nine million registered voters will likely not be allowed to vote in the 2016 presidential elections for not having biometrics data or automated identification.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said yesterday 9,018,256 registered voters do not meet the requirements under the Mandatory Biometrics Registration Act of 2013.

Under the law, voters who failed to submit for validation prior to the May 2016 elections shall be deactivated from the voters’ list and shall not be allowed to vote.

The Comelec issued a resolution in accordance with the law, urging voters without biometrics data to immediately report to the poll body for automated photograph, fingerprint and signature.

Validation of registration records starts today. Voters may validate their records at the Office of the Election Officer of the city or municipality where they are registered.

Comelec offices are open Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The poll body is also setting up satellite offices to accommodate the expected volume of voters who will come for validation.

Voters are required to bring any proof of identification such as current employee’s identification card with the signature of the employer or authorized representative; Postal ID; Student ID or library card signed by the school authority; senior citizen’s ID; driver’s license; clearance from the National Bureau of Investigation or from the police; passport; SSS or GSIS ID; Integrated Bar of the Philippines ID; and license issued by the Professional Regulation Commission.