Solons to Comelec: Create more satellite registration centers

The House Minority bloc on Wednesday called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to establish additional satellite registration centers so encourage more Filipinos to register to vote in the coming election.

Earlier, members of the bloc said they received reports on the low turnout of new registrants due to the supposed incapacity of the poll body to accommodate more Filipinos who wish to register.

Thus, the group decided to file House Resolution 1796.

Citing information from the Philippine Statistics Authority, the bloc said there will be about 73 million Filipinos who will be aged 18 and above by 2022, and out of 58 million currently registered voters, 15 million have yet to be included in the count of participants in the upcoming polls.

"There is a need to increase the capacity of the Comelec by increasing registration centers nationwide," the resolution stated.

Also, it said, "The importance and significance of the upcoming 2022 polls is primordial, it being a presidential election." 

Those who signed the resolution were Representatives Joseph Stephen Paduano, Janette Garin, Jose Christopher Belmonte, Carlos Zarate, Stella Quimbo, Argel Cabatbat, Sharee Ann Tan, Bayani Fernando, France Castro, Arlene Brosas, Irene Saulog, Gabriel Bordado, Sergio Dagooc, Isagani Amatong, Lawrence Fortun, Alex Advincula, Eufemia Cullamat, Angelica Natasha Co, Godofredo Guya, Ferdinand Gaite, Maria Victoria Umali, Sarah Elago, and Jose Bonito Singson. —LBG, GMA News