Comelec sets express lanes for frontliners

MANILA, Philippines — Medical frontliners need not set an appointment and may avoid joining the lines intended for regular registrants for the May 2022 national and local elections as the Commission on Elections has opened express lanes for them, Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said yesterday.

In a post on social media, Guanzon said medical frontliners, police officers, persons with special needs and pregnant women should proceed to the Comelec offices if they would submit their applications for voters’ registration and queue at the express lane.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said those waiting in line for the voters’ registration should expect long lines as there are only eight days left before the registration ends on Sept. 30.

In a related development, Guanzon said the Comelec en banc would deliberate on the Senate resolution that urges the poll body to extend the voters’ registration for one month or until Oct. 31.

“Now that there is a Senate resolution, the Comelec can no longer ignore it since our budget relies on it. I’m sure (Chairman Sheriff) Abas will schedule that tomorrow,” Guanzon said in a radio interview.

The Comelec earlier rejected calls to extend the voters’ registration, citing the lack of time for the preparation of paraphernalia for the 2022 elections.