Comelec-NIR says voter registration turnout ‘overwhelming’

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY — Commission on Elections–Negros Island Region (Comelec-NIR) Regional Director Atty. Lionel Marco Castillano lauded the strong turnout in the voters’ registration for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, which ended Sunday.

“I am happy with the result — the turnout was overwhelming,” Castillano said in a phone interview Monday.

He expressed particular satisfaction with the number of young registrants, saying they should be given the chance to participate in the elections.

The partial and unofficial tally for the Aug. 1–10 registration period stands at 130,378 voters.

“We are still waiting for some data from Isabela and some municipalities in Negros Oriental, where they are still segregating male and female registrants,” he said, adding that the final total will be released once all figures are in.

Castillano said the registration did not include voter transfers.

“This means we concentrated on those aged 15–17 and 18-year-old first-time voters,” he said.

For regular voters, Comelec only handled activation and correction of entries, which were minimal.

Castillano said that if the Barangay and SK Elections (BSKE) are postponed, Comelec will resume registration from the last week of October until July 2026.

“We will go back to the field in the last week of October because right now, after this registration, Comelec is focused on the BARMM election — our first BARMM Parliamentary election this coming October,” he said.

He explained that the Aug. 1–10 registration was conducted to ensure the voters’ list for the Dec. 1 BSKE would already be final in case the Supreme Court issues a temporary restraining order (TRO) but the elections proceed.

“There is still a possibility the Supreme Court may receive a petition, issue a TRO, or even declare the law postponing the election unconstitutional,” he said.

Castillano said Comelec is preparing for both scenarios — if the polls push through or are postponed.

“If it pushes through, we can still manage because our procurement has already started — not yet awarded, but already underway — for election paraphernalia, including the lacking yellow ballot boxes,” he said.

If postponed, registration will resume in late October until July 2026.

On the incident in Bacolod City, where some registrants fainted while lining up on the last day, Castillano said it was a lesson learned.

“We did not anticipate the eagerness of the youth — they were lining up the night before,” he said.

He stressed the need to coordinate with mall security and the police and to add more registration stations.

“There were only three in such a big city like Bacolod, when we should have had a minimum of five,” he said, adding that he will recommend to Comelec Manila the addition of more stations in the city.

Castillano also reported that in Valencia, Negros Oriental, a person fainted in the queue and was brought to the hospital.