Mayor Rama Asks Comelec to Extend Registration

Cebu City Mayor Michael Lopez Rama visited the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) National Office based in Manila last July 24, to request for the extension of voters registration in Cebu City.

The Mayor was informed that COMELEC can no longer extend the registration of votes in preparation for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections which is slated for 10 days from July 22-31, 2013 because it already includes Saturday and Sunday July 27-28 with no lunch break.

Mayor Rama has also revealed that the COMELEC cannot provide Cebu City with additional data capturing machines because there are no available units since they were already distributed to various Comelec offices in the country. Comelec office of this city is utilizing 2 data capturing machines.

The Mayor immediately instructed city hall employees to provide assistance such as tents, chairs, buses, sound system and stand-by ambulance in case of emergency, and setting up a command posts just outside the Comelec office.

Comelec’s query booth and issuance of forms for the registrants may it be first timers, reactivation or transfers of vote registration has been strategically placed in the city’s Plaza Independencia before they will proceed to the nearby Comelec office.

On the second day of the voter’s registration the flow was very smooth and the whole process was already seemingly systematic following the Mayor’s suggestions.

“Ang atong concern is the safety and security sa mga tawo, we cannot just be looking the people lining at the Comelec office and into a state of misery because they are in Cebu City,” Mayor Rama underscored.

Attorney Edwin Cadungog, Election Officer of the city has shared that they are expecting more than Ten Thousand new registered voters in the city after the 10 day regular registration.

Currently, this Queen City of the South has a total of 547,681 registered voters with 299,389 voters coming from the 34 Barangays in the city’s South District and 248,292 voters from the 46 Barangays in the city’s North District.

Based on Comelec resolution number 9715, the filing of the certificates of candidacy (COC) will be on October 15-17 and the campaign period is set on October 18-26.

The Comelec has set the 4th Monday of October as Election Day. The casting of votes will be done manually on the 28th day of October 2013 from 7 o’clock in the morning until 3 o’clock in the afternoon. (By: Greggy Jiggs P. Senados, PIO Staff)