Comelec: Low turnout for barangay, SK list-up

Amid calls for the postponement of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) reported a low voter registration turnout— only 1.6 million new registrants out of the 3.8-million target. “The number of new registrants is far less than we expected," Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez said in a statement issued on Friday. He said the low turnout could probably be attributed to the plan of some lawmakers to file bills seeking the postponement of the local polls. “The hovering possibility of postponement of the October 25 polls could have discouraged a large number of our kababayans to go out and register," Jimenez said. As of August 11, around 675,402 voters have registered for the Barangay elections. The figure includes applications for transfer of registration records; reactivation; correction of entry, and the reinstatement of names in the list of voters. Region III (Central Luzon) topped the list of regions with the highest number of new registrants (76,206); Region IV-A, CALABARZON came in second (59,264) followed by the National Capital Region (42,672), he said. On the other hand, the number of registrants for the SK polls was 1,005,790 as of Friday, Jimenez said. Region III had the highest number (131,677); followed by Region VII, Central Visayas (111, 931); and Region IX, Zamboanga Peninsula (111,218). On Thursday, Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said 11 measures have been filed in both the Senate and House of Representatives seeking to postpone the October elections. President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, for meanwhile, said he wants the Barangay and SK polls to push through as scheduled because he plans to synchronize the elections in 2013. The last day of registration for the Barangay polls is on Friday, August 13, while for the SK elections, it will be on Sunday, August 15. Voters may register from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Office of the Election Officer in the city or municipality where the applicant resides, even during weekends. A registrant for the Barangay polls needs to be a Filipino citizen, a resident of the Philippines for one year, a resident of the Barangay for six months, and at least 18 years old. On the other hand, a registrant for the SK polls has to be a Filipino citizen, a resident of the Barangay for six months, and 15 to 17 years old. Registrants must present any of the following documents: birth certificate, baptismal certificate, school records, or any other document that will prove his or her identity. The Comelec, however, clarified that community tax certificates or cedulas or certification from the Barangay will not be honored. —LBG/VVP, GMANews.TV