Voters can still register until January 9, 2010 - high court

(UPDATE 3 - 7:24 p.m.) The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended the voter registration for the 2010 elections to January 9 after it nullified a Commission on Elections (Comelec) resolution that limited the said registration to October 31, 2009. The assailed Comelec resolution sets the deadline of registration earlier than the Dec. 15, 2009 date previously fixed by Resolution 8514, which provides for the rules and regulations on voter registration in areas outside the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). In its nine-page decision, the SC directed the Comelec to immediately reopen the registration as a reply to the petition of Kabataan party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino, who questioned the shortened period for registration. The court gave weight to Palatino's argument that registration should be held daily and 120 days before election in accordance with Section 8 of Republic Act 8189 of the Voters Registration Act of 1996.
“By the above provision, Congress itself has determined that the period of 120 days before a regular election and 90 days before a special election is enough time for the Comelec to make all the necessary preparations with respect to the coming elections. Such determination of Congress is well within the ambit of its legislative power, which this Court is bound to respect. And the Comelec’s rule-making power should be exercised in accordance with the prevailing law," the Court ruled. The SC also noted that RA 6646 (The Electoral Reforms Law of 1987) and RA 8436 (Poll Automation Law) grant the poll body the power to fix other periods and dates for pre-election activities “only if the same cannot be reasonably held within the period provided by law." “There is, thus, no occasion for the Comelec to exercise its power to fix other dates or deadlines therefor," it said in the decision penned by Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales. Palatino, meanwhile, welcomed the decision. “We welcome this decision of the Supreme Court. We hope that more of the youth will go out and register for the coming elections," Palatino told GMANews.TV in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon. Palatino said he was expecting the poll body to come up with guidelines on the resumption of voters’ registration as soon as possible. Difficult situation Comelec chairman Jose Melo said the decision had placed the poll body in a difficult situation. “Medyo mahihirapan na tayong ihabol ang listahan (It’s going to be hard for us to come out with the voter’s list on time)," he said at a press conference on Tuesday. He said that aside from the tedious process of approving voters, the consolidation of the master list and its distribution to the precincts would take a lot of time. Melo said there would be problem on the voters' part if the list does not reach a specific precinct in time for the May 10 elections. A voter’s list indicates whether a voter can vote in a specific precinct. “Paano boboto ang mga tao kung walang voter's list (How can people vote if there is no voter’s list)?" he said. Year-long registration The poll body has repeatedly said in the past that there was no need for an extension of registration because they were given ample time to register. Registration ran for almost a year, from December 2008 to October 31, 2009. It added that it’s not them but the Filipino “national behavior" of waiting for the last minute to do something is to blame for the “disenfranchisement" of some voters. But Melo said that since what the SC says is law, they cannot do anything but follow it. “We’ll see how we can do it," he said, adding that they are yet to receive a copy of the ruling. Earlier, the Comelec said that as of the December 10, the number of registered voters had reached 49,271,492. In the 2007 elections, there were 45,029,443 registered voters. - Aie Balagtas See, Andreo C. Calonzo, Kim Tan/KBK, GMANews.TV