Partylist files manifestation at SC

Kabataan Partylist, the largest youth party in the country, today filed a manifestation at the Supreme Court (SC) directing the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to ensure that new voters who registered during the “extended” registration period would be able to vote during the May 2010 elections.

Kabataan Party-list Representative Mong Palatino said the poll body’s decision not to print the exact number of ballots for the 2010 polls is a “deliberate act to disenfranchise the additional registrants during the special registration period.”

No ‘chance passengers’

“The Comelec’s categorical statements to the media that the additional registrants would be mere ‘chance passengers’  and they ‘would be able to vote only if early registrants opt not to exercise their right of suffrage’ is simply unacceptable.The Comelec should do all means to ensure that additional number of new voters be granted their right to vote in the May elections,” the young solon said.

“Petitioners cannot overemphasize enough the seriousness of the consequences of such adamant plan of respondent (Comelec) not to print additional ballots for the additional registrants and voters… It is a premeditated and deliberate intention to violate the Constitutional right of suffrage, plain and simple,” the manifestation read.

Comelec ‘shortened’ extension

Palatino also said the purpose of the mainfestation is to ensure that the Comelec will abide by the High Court’s decision next time it holds new voters registration. Last December 15, the SC ruled in favor of Kabataan’s petition to return the deadline of new voter list-up to January 9 in accordance with the Voter’s Registration Act.

However, Palatino said the poll body failed to comply with SC decision when it moved the deadline to December 29. The poll body, which issued Resolution No. 8719 as guidelines for the “extended” registration period, only allotted five days – December 21, 22, 23, 28 and 29 – for the actual registration. The remaining days were set aside for “administrative aspects” of the registration like completing of Book of Voters, posting notices of the Election Registration Board and hearings on oppositions to applications for registration.

“There is not an iota of ambiguity in the text of the Honorable Court’s Decision.  All qualified voters must be allowed to register daily during regular office hours, as clearly and categorically declared in the Decision, except during the period starting 120 days before a regular election,” the manifestation read.

The manifestation also criticized the Comelec’s refusal to allow the transfer, reactivation and correction of registration records.

Successful turnout

Meanwhile, Palatino said the Comelec should recant its statement saying that there is a “very low turnout” during the special registration period. “The number of additional registrants only proved that the extension was the right move. The more than 250,000 new registrants in five days during the Christmas season is a success in itself. This is also despite Comelec’s confusing and discouraging statements, ” he said.

The youth solon said the Comelec could have reached its traget of registering an additional 2 million voters during the extended registration period if it followed the SC order, did not limit the number of registrants per day, and had an efficient information drive campaign.###