Thousands try to beat Comelec list up deadline
Local News • 14:47 PM Sat Oct 31, 2015
1,982
By:
Edwin O. Fernandez
COTABATO CITY
-- Thousands new and old voters in Cotabato City trooped to the Commission on
Elections here as the election event draws to an end tonight.Lawyer Michael
Ignes, Cotabato City election officer, said Comelec will entertain applicants until 9 p.m. tonight.
Definitely,
there’s no extension. When 9 p.m.
strikes, we will stop receiving applications,” Ignes told DXMS Radyo Bida.
Ignes also
observed that there appears to be a practice of hauling registrants by leaders
of some politicians. Some registrants do not know what barangay they belonged,”
Ignes said.
We have no
choice but accept them, we will know later if an applicant is a double or multiple registrant through the biometric records,” he said, adding
that the finger prints are the best determining tools.
We informed politicians or their leaders that the persons they
brought to Comelec office to registerrmay be disqualified,” Ignes said.
If they were
hauled and registered but were already qualified voters somewhere else, they
may end up double or multiple registrants,” the poll officer said.
He said daily Comelec
is serving more than 1,000 clients.
Ignes said to dateabout 19,000 old voters have no biometric or have incomplete records in Cotabato
City.Applicants
have 12 hours, starting at 9 a.m. today to register or validate records.
Sadly, old
habits really die hard,” he said, referring to Filipinos attitude of doing things at
the last minute.”
Ignes said the manana habit has been very notable during the homestretch of registration.Some
applicants have stayed overnight near the Comelec office hoping to be in the
front line when last day of list up starts Saturday morning.Below is a sample of long lines fronting Comelec offices nationwide. and//images.gmanews.tv/webpics/2015/10/ZZZ_102215_mmanila_2015_10_22_11_06_06.jpg