Comelec: Few voters register on first day

A total of 1, 677 voters have registered in Cebu during the first day of the registration period for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections next year.

Records of the Commission on Elections in Cebu Province show that 791 of those new voters were males and 876 are females. The Comelec does not accept transfer of registration.

Cebu City south district has the highest number of registrants which reaches 267 followed by Cebu City north district with 204. Mandaue City has 151 on the first day; Naga, 128; Lapu-Lapu, 103; Talisay, 90; Toledo, 73; and Carcar, 62.

According to the Comelec, no voter came to register in the towns of Catmon, Santander and Pilar last Monday.

Lawyer Ferdinand Gujilde, provincial election officer, said that the outcome maybe reflective of the aggressive campaign of the local election officers during the conduct of satellite registration during last registration period.

Another reason why only very few voters have showed up is the exclusion of transfer.

“Kay per experience makita namo nga kon pananglit barangay election, makabantay mi og hakot, meaning i-transfer ang mga botante hilabina na, para sa ilang ibutang ta lang, duna silay self-interest nga himoon sila nga botante nila, mao na ang nahitabo sa una,” Gujilde explained.

Gujilde said other voters also have the habit of beating the deadline and the apprehensions that the next scheduled elections might be postponed again.

“Confident ko nga mapahigayon na gyud kay sa akong tan-aw kon dili pa gyud madayon ang barangay ug SK election sa second Monday of 2018, murag ma negate na nato ang essence sa democracy which is ang katawhan mopili kinsa mamuno nila,” Gujilde said.

The registration period for next year’s elections started last Monday and will run until November 30.

President Rodrigo Duterte postponed the barangay and SK elections this year because of his apprehensions that drug lords might back up candidates using drug money. The elections was supposed to be held last October.