Comelec urged to follow SC ruling to atone for shortcomings

Complaints are pouring from first-time voters and new registrants as the Commission of Elections is expected to re-open extended voter registration tomorrow, December 28.

Kabataan Party-list Rep. Mong Palatino today said that while a more than significant turnout of first-time voters trooped to registration centers in the first three days of extended voter registration, the Comelec failed to accommodate a huge number due to difficulties and ill-preparedness in the registration process.

“We have received reports nationwide of thousands of youths availing of the extended registration period only to be sent home by Comelec officials. The general complaint we are getting is that Comelec centers only accept 200 registrants per day and then refuse to accommodate the rest despite long lines of prospective new registrants. Ang nangyayari, magbubukas sila ng 10:00am, by 11:00am sarado na dahil ubos na ‘yung 200,” Palatino said.

Palatino enumerated other complaints such as late opening of registration centers, lack of more satellite registration centers, shortage of registration forms and a general difficulty in the registration process.

“These complaints are not new. They are the same complaints we have received early on, even before voter registration was extended. We have already brought these concerns to the Comelec and even offered our assistance but they continue to be resurrected. How can we expect to encourage our prospective first time voters with this system?” he said.

Palatino said that at the rate things are going, the remaining two days for extended voter registration, December 28-29, will surely be not enough to accommodate the two million projected new registrants for the extended registration period.

“There is more reason for the Comelec to follow the Supeme Court ruling to its fullest. Comelec has to atone for shortcomings in the registration process and implement voter registration until January 9. It cannot be selective in its implementation of the SC ruling, especially when the right to register and right of suffrage are at stake,” Palatino said.

In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court nullified Comelec Resolution no. 8585 which shortened the registration period to October 31, 2009 and granted Kabataan Party-list’s petition to extend voters’ registration to January 9, 2010. Based on the Voters Registration Act of 1996, the last day of registration should be 120 days before the day of elections.

Under Comelec Resolution no. 8719, the poll body only allotted five days, December 21 to 23 and December 28 to 29 for the actual registration. The remaining days were set aside to hear oppositions to applications for registration.

“We expect millions to avail of the remaining two days of extended voter registration. We hope the Comelec re-opens more prepared and accommodating tomorrow else it will be doing the greatest injustice to its very mandate and to Filipinos whose right to suffrage it swore to uphold,” he said.

Palatino said that they are preparing to submit a manifestation to the Supreme Court on the Comelec’s refusal to implement the SC ruling until January 9. ###