Comelec: No extension of voters' registration

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has rejected requests to extend the registration of voters beyond the October 31 deadline. But Comelec chairman Jose Melo said the commission en banc has decided to do voter list-up even on Sundays in typhoon-hit areas. These areas are: Region 1 (Ilocos Region) Region 2 (Cagayan Valley), Region 3 (Central Luzon), Cordillera Administrative Region, National Capital Region and Region 4A (Calabarzon). Melo said they wanted to accommodate the requests, but they cannot do so without sacrificing preparations for poll automation. “We would like to [extend the registration] but if we will move it baka hindi makaabot yung registration of voters sa precincts... lalong mahirap yun," Melo told reporters.

Also, he said that the poll body is verifying reports that voters' records in some flood-hit areas have been destroyed. But he assured the commission has a duplicate copy of the lists. Melo also said that the Sunday list-up in regions affected by the recent typhoons would start on October 17. “We’ve already authorized our people to do overtime including Sundays because malapit na ang deadline especially dito sa areas na lumubog sa baha," the Comelec chief said. Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer said that they have been receiving requests to conduct extended registration from flooded areas because voter listings there have been interrupted for six days. Earlier, Henrietta de Villa, chairperson of poll watchdog Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) eyed the possibility of asking Comelec to extend the October 31 registration deadline to enable voters in the affected areas to register for the May 2010 elections.- GMANews.TV