150,000 voters in Ilocos Region have no biometrics

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines – More than 150,000 voters in the Ilocos Region may not be able to vote next year unless they undergo biometric registration in October, poll officials said yesterday.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) assistant regional director Reddy Balarbar said among the provinces with a large number of voters without biometric data were Pangasinan with 95,742; La Union, 20,922; Ilocos Sur, 13,167, and Ilocos Norte, 26,363.

Balarbar said the number is based on data submitted during the election registration board hearing in July, which result was released in August.

He said another result, a final one, would be released in November.

Region 1 has about 2.8 million voters. Of the number, 2.6 million have undergone biometric registration.

Balarbar said voters could check www.comelec.gov.ph. to determine if their biometrics are complete, as others were said to lack photographs or signatures.

Comelec regional director Noli Pipo said they have announced the registration schedules and brought the sites near the voters, but still a huge number have yet to register.

Pipo said the voters’ lack of interest to undergo biometrics has been a cause for worry for Comelec officials.

“We are not worried so much for the national elections, but for local positions in the provinces and municipalities wherein a 200-vote lead can determine a winner,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pangasinan election supervisor Marino Salas said the off-site registration would end on Oct. 5.

Comelec offices will be open until 5 p.m. on Oct. 31, the last day of registration.