Voter's listup in non-ARMM areas to be suspended

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will suspend the voter’s registration in areas that will be affected by the general registration in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

In Resolution 9443, the Comelec said it has to stop the registration in non-ARMM areas to give way to the ARMM registration from July 9 to 18.

This, as personnel and voter’s registration machines in non-ARMM areas will be dispatched by the Comelec to augment the manpower and equipment in the ARMM.

The suspension will take effect from June 25 to July 31 “in the cities and municipalities where the personnel and registration equipment will be deployed in the ARMM areas.”

The invalidation of the ARMM book of voters was made after the Senate and the House of Representatives issued a joint resolution directing the Comelec to conduct a new general registration of voters in the region.

The Comelec said the move is in line with Republic Act 8189 or the Voter’s Registration Act of 1996 which provides for the annulment of any book of voters “prepared through fraud, bribery, forgery, impersonation, intimidation, force or any similar irregularity, or which contains data that are statistically improbable.”