By Joseph B.A. Marzan
The Commission on Election (COMELEC) Iloilo City office on Monday is ready for the voters’ registration which restarts today, Sept 1, 2020.
The registration, which is meant for the May 10, 2022 National and Local Elections (NLE), faces challenges what with the stringent health protocols to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Jonathan Sayno, Election Assistant II of the COMELEC Iloilo City, discussed the process for voter registration, which will be held at their office at the Iloilo Terminal Market.
Sayno said they had prepared some measures since the first announcement of the voter registration, which was supposed to start in July but was postponed due to COVID-19.
“We will check their body temperature and have them fill out [COVID-19] health declaration forms. We will only be allowing nine people at a time at the office. We are expecting many people to come, as we’ve done in the past. We’re going to implement these health standards to make sure that we avoid getting sick. We were supposed to implement this last July but it was postponed due to COVID-19,” Sayno said.
The COMELEC is implementing a “no face mask, no face shield, no registration” rule to ensure the implementation of minimum health standards.
They also encouraged the public to bring their own pens to lessen the risk of contact and transmitting the virus.
But Sayno clarified that people can still come without having their own pen.
“The only thing we require is the ‘no face mask, no face shield, no registration’ rule. The use of pens is merely encouraging and doesn’t really prohibit people from registering. We’re also ready with pens here at the COMELEC, but it’s better if they’d have their own pens for lesser risks,” he said.
As much as they would like to have satellite registrations around the city to avoid crowding at the local election office, Sayno said it would be impossible as rules require applications to be signed in the presence of the Election Officer.
Application forms are downloadable from the COMELEC website, but must only be signed in the presence of the Election Officer.
“It would be more dangerous [for mobile registration]. We have satellite registration, but there are many processes to go through, and we cannot have multiple satellite registrations. If we would have registration in one barangay, we cannot have registration at the office because the application should be filed in the presence of the election officer, it has to be personal, and in the form they have to swear an oath,” he said.
He also said that they might suspend registration if any of their staff test positive for COVID-19.
“In the event that someone [in the office] tests positive for COVID-19, the COMELEC will have to shut down. We will have a lockdown, we will disinfect, and we will have to monitor the positive [case] because they wouldn’t be coming in at the office. We will have to disinfect before resuming registration,” he said.
REQUIREMENTS
The COMELEC follows requirements provided in the 1987 Constitution and the Omnibus Election Code.
Those who wish to register must be Filipino citizens who are 18 years old by May 10, 2022.
New registrants should bring a clear photocopy of their birth certificate, or any valid ID, which can determine their age by election day.
Sayno clarified that 16- or 17-year-olds may register so long as they will reach the age of 18 at the time of the election.
“For new registrants in the May 10, 2022 election, even if they are 16 or 17 years old, if they reach the age of 18 on the day of the election, they can register,” he said.
Applicants for valid transfer may register even only with a valid ID.
Those applying for reactivation of their voter status, (those who were not able to vote after two consecutive elections, e.g. 2018 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections and 2019 NLE), they may register even only with their ID.
Those applying for a change of civil status will have to bring their marriage contracts.
