COMELEC Iloilo City ‘optimistic’ to meet voter roll target

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

 

Despite the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic forcing many changes to the Commission on Election’s (COMELEC) voters’ registration schedules, its office in Iloilo City on Monday said it might meet its projected number of registered voters for the May 9, 2022 polls.

The COMELEC central office on March 20, 2021 issued a press release stating that due to the recent surge of COVID-19 cases in the country, it shifted back to the Monday to Thursday schedule in all election offices, with Fridays scheduled as “disinfection day”.

Prior to this, voter’s registration was scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Tuesdays to Saturdays since February 16, 2021.

This was based on Memorandum Circular No. 85, issued by the Office of the President on March 19, which established a 30 percent operational capacity for government agencies and instrumentalities in areas under General Community Quarantine (GCQ).

The COMELEC’s order, however, also covered areas under Modified GCQ, which included Iloilo City and all other areas in the Western Visayas region.

Jonathan Sayno, Election Assistant II of the Office of the Election Officer in Iloilo City, told Daily Guardian via phone interview that since registration for the 2022 elections opened on February 1, 2020, they have tallied 7,194 registrations.

This was amid suspensions in voter registration due to the emergence of COVID-19 in the country.

The figures include new registrations, those who transferred addresses from other places, and those who reactivated their registration after being stricken off the voter rolls.

The number is 47.96 percent of the local election office’s target of 15,000 registrations in Iloilo City, with the deadline for registration on September 30.

Their target is based on their projection of at least 5 percent of the number of registered voters for the 2019 elections, which is at 294,776.

Sayno said that they were still optimistic to reach their target because of the current numbers against their projections.

He also said that they were planning to hold satellite voting activities across the city in April and May, but none has been final.

“We are very optimistic because at least we now have 7,149. There is still time to register, and we are sure that will meet or even exceed our target,” Sayno said.

He also said that the local COMELEC observed the recent plebiscite to divide Palawan into three provinces, which had a 60.73 percent turnout, as something they can follow.

There have also been no protocols in place for the filing of certificates of candidacy in October and the campaign period in early 2022 due to the uncertainty of the pandemic.

He added that the COMELEC was looking at added protocols, such as additional paraphernalia and extended voting hours.

“We had a successful plebiscite in Palawan, where there were just protocols to be followed. People will vote if they want to vote, whether there is a plebiscite or not. The pandemic is not a hindrance to voting. We are looking at the protocols implemented,” Sayno said.