Defective phone lines mar first day of new voters’ registration in Bulacan

MALOLOS CITY, Philippines – The first day of the new voters’ registration in Bulacan for the coming Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) and barangay elections went smoothly yesterday, save for defective telephone lines that hampered the reporting activity of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Provincial election supervisor Elmo Duque said the registration in 21 towns and three cities in the province went as scheduled. No untoward incident was reported in the first hour of registration.

Duque said the turnout of registrants was low, but they expect more voters to register towards the weekend.

“We are calling on first-time voters to come, register and not wait for the last day,” he said referring to the deadline of registration on July 31.

Duque said they would not extend the registration, as he noted that the poll body is strictly following its schedule of activities.

Duque has asked the Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) to fix the disconnected telephone lines of the Comelec provincial office. He said they encountered a similar problem a day before the May elections.

Meanwhile, the poll official said that there is nothing wrong with potential candidates helping transport new voters to Comelec offices since it is not yet the election period and no law prohibits this move.

Residents of Guiguinto town said some individuals who were planning to run in the elections were transporting new voters.