Voters without biometrics down to 3.8 M

MANILA, Philippines - Less than 100 days before the voter’s registration ends, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday announced that the number of voters without biometrics has gone down to 3.8 million from April to June.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said this seems to be the biggest decrease on a quarterly basis. From January to March 2015, there were 4.8 million voters without biometrics data in their registration records.

“I think one of the biggest contributing factors for the decrease is that at the start of the year, we stepped up our ‘No Bio No Boto’ campaign. We really drummed it up and it seems that the response is good,” he said.

The reduction was also attributed to the nearing deadline for voter’s registration on Oct. 31.

“Maybe, the people have come to realize that it’s almost deadline now so the participation ramped up,” Jimenez added.

Under the Mandatory Biometrics Registration Act of 2013, voters who do not have biometrics data – digital photograph, signature and fingerprints – will not be able to vote in the 2016 presidential polls. – Sheila Crisostomo, Christina Mendez