Bulk of registrants troop at a Comelec satellite office in a TESDA center in Tondo, Manila on October 22, 2015 for voters registration. (Rovic Balunsay / Photoville International)
MANILA, Philippines — It was just nine in the morning but a long line of people trying to register or validate their biometrics can be seen outside the Arroceros, Manila office of COMELEC.
To avoid overcrowding inside the building, people were allowed entry by batches.
All of them have their own reason for registering only now even if the registration period had started since May last year.
Mrs. Anerva de Guzman, a registrant, only visited COMELEC today even though she was notified by the poll body early this year to have her biometrics data validated to be able to vote next year. “Busy ako eh kaya ngayon lang ako nakapunta,” she said. (I was busy so it is only now that I was able to register.)
Election officer, Narciso Arabe said,” Palagi silang may dahilan. Alam mo naman, pag ayaw may dahilan pag gusto may paraan. Kaya ang palaging sinsabi busy. Yung sabado at linggo busy ka pa rin ba nun?”
(All of them have their own reasons but if there’s a will there’s a way. They say they’re always busy. Are they still busy even on Saturdays or Sundays?)
Inside the building it was very hot because the fans were not working. Arabe said they already anticipated the surge of people that are coming as the deadline draws near.
However, he stressed that they can only process more than 300 people a day because they are only using two computers for the registration process.
COMELEC chairman Andres Bautista said they have already formed 40 special teams ready for deployment to areas that needs augmentation.
A bus from the MMDA can also be utilized by COMELEC to support areas that are in need of assistance. COMELEC chairman, Andres Bautista said, since COMELEC offices have limited spaces for additional machines, the bus can serve as a mobile office.
Bautista stressed that the deadline for the registration is October 31.
COMELEC has been implementing a 12-hour registration period in their local offices.
Satellite registrations are also conducted in malls, covered courts and gymnasiums among others. Satellite registration schedules can be seen in the poll body’s website www.COMELEC.gov.ph (UNTV News)
The post Registrants flood COMELEC to beat October deadline appeared first on UNTV News.