Palawan Commission on Elections (COMELEC) officials said they are preparing for large volumes of voter registration in the coming days, especially because the extension was denied by the commission en banc despite urging from the Senate.
Officials likewise urged everyone to register as soon as possible so that there will be no long lines on September 30, the last day for voters’ registrations.
“Hindi rin kasi in-approve ng commission en banc ang extension beyong September 30. Our resources and personnel are limited din. Nagsimula naman tayo, August pa lang. Konti pa ang mga nagpa-register noon. Kaya dapat, hangga’t maaga pa, mag-register na sila ngayon na,” said Palawan COMELEC Officer Jomel Ordas Wednesday in a talk with Palawan media.
“Gumawa naman ang COMELEC ng mga paraan para less ang mga pila, katulad ng online reactivation, para bawas na ang mga pila,” he added.
Newly-appointed Puerto Princesa City COMELEC Officer Atty. Julius Cuevas said that they have also done satellite registrations in rural barangays to accommodate voters unable to travel to the city center. He added, however, that they can no longer extend satellite registration services longer than two days in a week.
“Kapag nag-extend pa kasi tayo ng satellite registration, it will be a violation of public health protocols. Limited din ang aming space at workforce arrangements para mag-accommodate pa ng maraming tao,” said Cuevas.
Ordas added that their office has recorded a total of 130,730 applications for Palawan, including Puerto Princesa. He said that 86 per cent of this number are all first-time voters, transfer of registration, or reactivations. Cuevas likewise added that they are expecting a an estimated 8,500 applications in Puerto Princesa to undergo review by the Election Registration Board (ERB) scheduled for October 18.
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