19T first district voters lacking biometrics info

CEBU, Philippines - The Commission on Elections is warning the 19,054 registered voters in Cebu's first district who lack biometrics data that they will not be allowed to vote in the 2016 elections.

Comelec is intensifying its "No Bio, No Boto" campaign with the validation period now down to two months.

As stipulated in Republic Act No. 10367 or the Mandatory Biometrics Registration Act of 2013, voters who fail to submit for validation before the May 2016 elections, shall be deactivated from the voters' list and shall not be allowed to vote.

Provincial Comelec supervisor Marco Lionel Castillano said 19,054 or 36.34 percent of the 352,483 voters in the Cebu's first district still lack biometrics data. The first district covers the cities of Talisay, Naga and Carcar, and the municipalities of Minglanilla, San Fernando and Sibonga.

Castillano said even if they have voted in the previous election and they do not have biometrics data, the Comelec will erase their name from the list and not allow them to vote in the 2016 elections.

Talisay City Comelec officer Gallardo Escobar Jr. said of the 113,216 registered voters in the city, there are 5,587 voters who have no biometrics.  The city's Comelec office, for several days, was able to get more voters to have their registration validated because the staff went out of their way to send letters to registered voters, in the barangays, he said.

Naga City has 2,937 voters or 4.88 percent of the voting population who have no biometrics while Carcar has 2,495 or 4.18. Naga has 60,147 registered voters while Carcar has 59,662.

San Fernando town has only 3.60 percent or 1,451 voters who are without biometrics data while the town of Sibonga has to work hard on bringing that number down with 12.67 percent or 3,404 voters without biometrics. Minglanilla has 3,180 voters or 6.08 percent who have no biometrics. It has 52,293 voters.

San Fernando has the 40,307 total registered voters while Sibonga has 26,858, based on the records of the Comelec as of July 20, 2015.

The Comelec officials are urging the remaining registered voters who have no biometrics to visit Comelec offices to complete the digital capturing of their biometrics soon and not to wait for the deadline on October 31 this year. (FREEMAN)