The Commission on Elections (Comelec) here is calling on residents to avail of the satellite voters’ registration in the barangays starting on May 15 and avoid the rush before the deadline on September 30 this year.
Lawyer Rafael Orillana, officer-in-charge election officer, in an interview on Tuesday said the activity will be held in all the villages, one at a time, every Saturday to give residents ease of registration, speed up the process, and help lower the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) transmission.
The schedule of the satellite registration here for this month is as follows: Barangay Cadawinonan, May 15; Barangay Camanjac, May 29; and Barangay Bajumpandan, May 29, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Priority will be given to senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
Barangays with zero cases of Covid-19 will be the first ones to conduct the satellite voters’ registration.
With only one voter registration machine to be used, the Comelec can register up to 200 maximum registrants, provided there are no problems in the processes, Orillana said.
Meanwhile, the convenor of the Diocesan Electoral Board (DEB) of the Diocese of Dumaguete has welcomed the announcement of a Comelec commissioner of the possibility of extending the voting hours during May 9, 2022 elections.
Msgr. Julius Perpetuo S. Heruela, DEB convenor and currently also the head of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) here, said he and other DEB members are supporting the move as it would give people ample time to vote while observing safe physical distancing to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Comelec Commissioner Antonio Kho, Jr. announced Monday during the Ateneo School of Government (ASOG) forum on the 2022 elections that the voting time is highly possible to be extended by two to three hours.
Heruela, however, expressed concern on how this will impact the teachers who will be serving as members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs), noting that in previous elections, they were already complaining of exhaustion towards the end of the day.
The DEB convenor said they would undertake preparations as early as possible, even with the volunteers and logistics, as next year’s presidential, national, and local elections will definitely see changes in some processes due to the health crisis.
The DEB is a church-based initiative, with members including the Comelec, the Department of Education, Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, PPCRV, National Movement for Free Elections, the media, and other government and private entities, all working to achieve Clean, Honest, Accurate, Meaningful, and Peaceful (C.H.A.M.P.) elections.
Last Sunday, the Diocese of Dumaguete, headed by Bishop Julito Cortes, set aside one special mass each in the different parishes to join the PPCRV and the Caritas for the nationwide start of the one-year preparation for next year’s elections. (PNA)
