THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday said that it will reopen voter registration for ten days from the last week of July to the first week of August, ahead of the upcoming village and youth council elections scheduled for Dec. 1.
“Because we have village elections, many of our fellow citizens want to reactivate or transfer their registration or register as new voters. So, we will be allotting around ten days for voter registration nationwide,” Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia said in Filipino at a news briefing in Manila City.
The poll chief said they could not extend the voters’ registration period as the body would need to conduct hearings and cleansing to ensure the political aspirants’ records.
He clarified that the ten-day registration period does not include voters in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
“We might not be able to open registration for new voters, reactivate previous voters, or allow any changes to registration details in the BARMM area because we do not want to create the impression that those who register during the ten-day period from July to August will be allowed to vote in the Bangsamoro elections if they are from BARMM,” Mr. Garcia said.
“Therefore, voter registration in BARMM will be suspended to ensure that only those already in the official list for the 2025 national and local elections will be allowed to vote in the Bangsamoro polls.”
BARMM’s first-ever parliamentary elections were moved to Oct. 13, from May 12, prompted by a Supreme Court ruling that excluded the province of Sulu from BARMM.
The December polls will be counted manually, compared to the recently concluded midterm polls on May 12, which used automated counting machines.
Meanwhile, the poll chief said that the Starlink communications equipment used during the midterm elections will be donated to schools under the Department of Education (DepEd).
Around 8,000 Starlink devices will be distributed around the DepEd schools and Comelec satellite offices. The devices will be donated by iOne Resources.
The Philippines recently wrapped up its midterm elections, where Filipinos voted for 12 new senators, hundreds of party-list and district representatives, and thousands of local government officials. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana
