Mad rush to register for SK, barangay polls

Registrants herded by bets?

MANILA, Philippines -  â€œNew” voters waited in long lines in heavy rain, the adults jostling with youths, swamping voter registration centers yesterday on the last day of the listup for first-time registrants in the barangay and youth council elections.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is looking into reports that many of the “new” registrants were informal settlers and transferees herded by candidates with the promise that they would be safe from relocation at least until the Oct. 28 polls.

“It was really surprising for us to see so many registrants now. I think this is the first time that interest in the election is this high,” said Comelec Commissioner Lucenito Tagle.

Tagle noted a deluge of informal settlers who apparently want to establish residency in the wake of the relocation program of the government.

“I think there aren’t many informal settlers who have been relocated so far… the Election Registration Board will review the applications for voter’s registration so we will be able to find out,” he said.

In a separate interview, Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said the agency would strictly screen registrants for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls for possible flying voters.

Brillantes said the Comelec was puzzled over the high turnout of new voters, which raised alarm bells for multiple registration.

“So many have registered. We cannot understand. The regular elections were held just two months ago. No reason why there should be so many registrants,” he said.

The 10-day registration period ended yesterday and the Comelec rejected calls for an extension.

The number of registrants is not yet available but some Comelec offices had seen an average of 500 prospective voters a day.

The poll chief suspected that candidates had resorted to the “hakot system” where they brought their supporters to register, causing a deluge of registrants.

“The chairmen candidates could be the ones herding people,” Brillantes said in Filipino.

“That’s why we are checking whether these are transferees or new registrants. If they are new registrants, we have a big problem because only 52 million registered as of May 2013. Why will we have many voters above 18 years old?”

The voter’s registration for the midterm elections in May lasted  more than a year and ended only on Oct. 31, 2012.

Brillantes said if most registrants had applied for the transfer of their voter’s registration, this would raise more questions.

“If they are transferees, meaning they voted last May 13, why would they transfer when it’s only July. The requirement to transfer is six months residence,” he said.

The registrants will be scrutinized by the ERB by cross matching their biometrics data.

Tampered documents

In Quezon City, some registrants were found to have tampered their birth certificates to be able to qualify as SK voters. Jovencio Balanquit, city election officer, told The STAR that around a dozen applicants submitted tampered documents. 

Balanquit said those who submitted tampered documents were required to return with the original copy of their birth certificates before their application could be processed, but they never returned.    

Among those calling for the extension of the registration was Henrietta de Villa, head of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), who said she has been receiving reports of long queues even on the last day of registration.    

The PPCRV said there were reports that in some areas, a group allegedly controls the distribution of numbers to their supporters.      

Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. of Dasmariñas, Cavite also called for an extension, as he claimed the poll body did not give first time registrants and old voters sufficient time to register.

Barzaga, former chairman of the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms, said the listing was conducted for only nine days, from July 22 to yesterday.  

Study SK abolition

President Aquino has directed Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas to study proposals seeking the  abolition of the Sangguniang Kabataan, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said yesterday. 

The Comelec has called on Aquino to certify as urgent proposed measures seeking to abolish the SK, so it could better prepare for the barangay elections. Meanwhile, Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has called for the postponement of the SK elections to 2016 to allow Congress to come up with necessary reforms to the system.      

If approved, all incumbent SK officials will remain in their posts until October 2016. Marcos noted that the National Youth Commission itself has expressed support for the postponement of the SK elections.  – With Evelyn Macairan, Jess Diaz, Janvic Mateo, Delon Porcalla