Biometrics Posting Up to Oct. 31, Comelec Says

Legazpi City (PNA) — There will be no extension of the deadline for the taking of voters’ biometrics and the voters’ registration for next year’s elections.

This was stressed by lawyer Romeo Serrano, Commission on Elections Albay supervisor, who said they have already given the public enough time to do their obligation.

Serrano said the Comelec has set aside one year and six months for the biometrics posting and registration of qualified Filipino voters.

He reiterated the Comelec’s slogan “No Bio, no Boto”.

The Comelec official said the commission has done all it could so that the public will see their announcements in radio, television and newspapers.

They have also gone to far-flung barangays, churches and public places, he said.

Serrano found no reason for the voters not to register.

In this connection, he said, the Comelec offices are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. up to Oct. 31.

The Comelec Albay head said the three cities of Albay have two biometrics machines each, while the 15 municipalities have one each.

Each machine can process 250 registrants per day.

Serrano said it has been the experience of the commission to have registrants on the last day of the registration.

In view of this, he fears that not all those who would come on the last day will be accommodated as the limit is only 250 persons for each machine.

Serrano estimated that those who have not had their biometrics taken yet still number 40,000.

This figure is below the 7 percent of the total voters in the province.

He said this cannot be complete anymore because some voters have either been dead, abroad or have transferred their residences.

Albay has more that 700,000 voters out of 1.2 million total population. (PNA) CTB/FGS/NIM/CBD