Underaged voting applicants sign up in MILF camp

Underaged applicants lined up for voter sign-up in Camp Abubakar of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Tuesday.

In an ambush interview, Comelec chairperson George Garcia said 15 to 16-year-old individuals lined up for voter sign-up.

“We have also seen minor applicants who may have been given wrong information, perhaps thinking it was for SK registration, but all of that did not go through with their application,” Garcia said.

“Maybe the others are with their parents and thought they could register, it’s a waste of time. But again, we repeat, that will not go through,” he added.

Garcia, however, said those registrations weren’t done in “bad faith.”

“Maybe the information that was given to them was wrong,” he noted.

Garcia stressed that the poll body is now adopting stricter measures to keep away minors from voting in the elections.

“That’s what we’re guaranteeing to our compatriots, that what used to happen, we know that before even birds or whatever is registered in this area, that will no longer happen because we have intensified our registration process,” he continued.

“And number two, the local Comelec is properly trained in determining the age and the documents we are looking for just to verify if they are properly registered,” he added.

Comelec on Monday held the first-ever voter registration in Camp Darapanan and Camp Abubakar of the MILF. The poll body is targeting to register three million new voters for the 2025 national and local elections.