Few applicants qualify as b’gay, SK voters

Although many have registered for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections on Oct. 23, only a few have qualified as voters.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) reported over the weekend that a small percentage of over 800,000 who filed their applications for registration passed as voters.

The Comelec’s Election and Barangay Affairs Department received so far 816,591 applications from November to December.

Of the figure, only 193,229 SK registrants qualified as voters.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said filing an application before the Office of Election Officers is not enough for one to become a registered voter.

“Technically speaking, they are really not yet registered voters officially since they have to go through the Election Registration Boards (ERBs),” Jimenez explained.

“Once the ERBs approve their applications, that is the only time that they become registered voters.”

He said an opposition might still be filed against a registration applicant before the ERB, which will then conduct a hearing.

If there are no challenges, it is safe to say that one will likely make it to the voters’ list, Jimenez said.

There are several grounds, such as questions on residency and citizenship of the applicants, to challenge an application.

Jimenez said an applicant should also pass the Automated Fingerprints Identification System (AFIS).

“Once the ERB sees an applicant having a ‘ hit’ in the AFIS, they will call the applicant to inform him/her that he/she is considered a multiple registrant and will not be approved,” Jimenez said.

AFIS is a system that cross-matches the biometrics data registration of voters to eliminate double and multiple registrants.

Those wanting to vote in the barangay and SK polls have until April 29 to register, the Comelec said. – Mayen Jaymalin