Comelec to conduct offsite registrations

CEBU, Philippines - The Commission on Elections officer of Mandaue City yesterday said the Comelec will conduct offsite registrations in the different barangays.

It will also conduct an offsite registration for people with disabilities on “PWD Day” on March 10. 

City Comelec Registrar Fleur Gujilde during a press conference yesterday said its offsite registrations in the barangays will be done only on Saturdays.

The registrations will end in June this year. 

Gujilde said the offsite registrations were considered on account of the Filipino’s common practice of registering on the last minute.

She said the Comelec office at the sports complex is small and cannot accommodate everybody if they tried to beat the deadline on the last day.

Gujilde also said an offsite registration desk will be put up at the city jail since around 150 inmates wish to register and vote in the 2013 elections. 

She said that during the PWD day, the offsite registration will be done at the City Social Welfare Service office.

Here, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and walk-in registrants will be accommodated. She said her staff serve 200 registrants during that day. 

Gujilde said that during the 2010 elections, the city had 182,800 registered voters but the number decreased after names of registrants that failed to vote twice were deleted. The names of those who had died were also removed from the list.

In May 2011, the city had 163,000 registrants and has now risen to 167,000 as of January this year. (FREEMAN)