Comelec to Reopen Voter Registration If BSKE Is Postponed

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is not discounting the possibility of reopening the voter registration if next year’s Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) will be reset as proposed by several lawmakers.

“Yes we’ll just reopen if the BSKE will not push through,” Comelec chairman Sheriff Abas said on Thursday.

The voters have only until the end of September to register for the 2020 village and youth council elections, according to the poll body.

Earlier, Senators Imee Marcos and Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go proposed to reset the elections to 2023 while Senator Franklin Drilon suggested to hold it in 2021 so that incumbent village officials will be able to complete a three-year term.

Abas said if the elections will not push through, Comelec will most likely reopen the registration of voters.

If there is no postponement, Abas said the registration will end as scheduled on Sept. 30 since they have to work on the clustering of the list of voters.

The ongoing voter registration started on Aug. 1, 2019 all over the country.

Meanwhile, the Comelec on Thursday signed anew a memorandum of agreement with Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) for the establishment of satellite registration booths in Robinsons malls nationwide.

The conduct of registration in all 52 Robinsons malls is to attract more applicants, particularly during weekends, where many people visit malls.

Under the agreement, the mall chain will provide logistical assistance to the poll body by providing them with a space within the malls, tables, electricity, and chairs during the mall registration activities.

The RLC will also help in the promotion of scheduled mall registration activities in order to adequately inform the public of the event.

Robinson’s Operations Director Irving Wu said they will coordinate with the Comelec as to the schedule of registration in their malls.

“We will just await for the Comelec to coordinate with us the schedule of the registration activities, and then we will make the proper announcements,” he said.

The partnership between the two entities started in 2016. (PNA)