Nov 112017
 

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is looking to register some 850,000 regular and youth voters in the ongoing nationwide voter registration which started on Monday and will run until the end of the month.

“The Comelec expects less than 500,000 new Barangay registrants (18 years old), and approximately 350,000 Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) registrants,” said Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez in a statement Monday.

He reported that the first day of the voter registration on Monday went on smoothly, with some areas in the National Capital Region (NCR) reporting long queues.

“The first day of voter registration is going smoothly thus far. Various cities in Metro Manila are seeing massive numbers — Makati 1st and Taguig, in particular, are reporting queues of up to 200 people,” Jimenez added.

The poll body official added that public response from other areas in the country is “light” as expected.

“Outside the NCR, registration turnout is light. This is not entirely unexpected for two reasons: historically, voter registration turnout increases as the deadline draws near; and the fact that only those who missed the last registration cycle earlier this year are expected to come now,” he said.

The continuing voter registration resumed on Monday and will end on November 30.

Qualified voters were urged to file their applications for registration, reactivation, and change/correction of entries/and inclusion/reinstatement of records in the list of voters at all city/district/municipality Offices of the Election Officer (OEOs), except in the province of Lanao del Sur.

The OEOs are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., from Mondays to Saturdays, including holidays.

Qualified to register as regular voters are Filipino citizens, at least 18 years of age on or before May 14, 2018 BSKE; a resident of the Philippines for at least one year; and a resident in the place wherein he/she proposes to vote, for at least six months immediately preceding the elections.

On the other hand, those who are qualified to register as SK voters are Filipino citizens, at least 15 years of age on or before May 14, 2018 polls but not more than 30 years old; and residing in the barangay for at least six months on or before May 2018 BSKE.

The number of registrants for voter registration for July 2016 was 3,093,023 voters while the number of registrants for voter registration held from November 2016 to April 2017 was 2,764,745 voters and 705,570 voters were aged 15 to 17 years old. (PNA)

 

Sep 162013
 
Senate OKs bill postponing upcoming SK polls

The Senate on Monday approved the bill postponing the Sangguniang Kabataan polls scheduled this October. Nineteen senators voted for the postponement. No one objected to the bill, but Senator Vicente Sotto III abstained. On Tuesday, Sept. 3, the Senate committee on local government said it will recommend the postponement of the upcoming Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, scheduled this October after it had a hearing with after a hearing with officials from the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and local government officials.  The SK was created by the Local Government Code of 1991 to provide youth representation in government.  —KG, GMA News

Jul 302013
 
Long lines due to 'hakot system' as village poll registration deadline nears

Long lines in the registration for barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections? It’s all “hakot,” according to poll commissioner Grace Padaca. “Na-o-obserbahan namin na maraming hakot lang na pinapatransfer lang ng mga kandidato ng barangay. Sila ang nakakapagdagdag sa pila,” Padaca said in a phone interview with GMA News Online. By “hakot,” the poll commissioner was referring to the usual practice by politicians of renting a vehicle and then bringing residents to register for the elections. The practice is also done during election day. The 10-day registration for the village polls started July 22 and will end July 31. Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. earlier said there will be no extension of the deadline. At the Comelec office in Manila, the registration seemed like a stampede as registrants shoved against each other and lines were abandoned, according to a report on “24 Oras.” An election officer in the Quezon City Comelec office even shouted at the irate registrants: “Huwag kayo magtulakan!” The situation was worse in the Comelec office in Iloilo City: some registrants fainted while waiting in line and had to be brought to the hospital. The over-all scenario was similar to the last day of registration for the May 2013 elections—the usual long lines of registrants screaming for the doors of Comelec offices to open. A certain Leonard Francisco, interviewed on GMA News’ “Quick Response Team,” lamented the disorganized registration process for the village polls. “Sobrang gulo po ng proseso sa loob ng Comelec.Hindi maganda, Read More …

May 212013
 

MANILA, May 20 (Mabuhay) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec), under fire at the heels of the May 13 elections, may postpone the October 2013 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections to late next year or early 2015. According to Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr., postponing the barangay and SK elections to a later date […]