House leaders seek extension of voter registration to Oct. 31

Leaders of the House of Representatives sought have joined calls for the extension of the voter registration process until October 31, 2021.

Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, Majority Leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Minority Leader Joseph Stephen Paduano filed House Bill 10261 seeking to compel the Commission on Elections to extend the September 30,2021 deadline of voter registration until next month.

They said the extension aims to prevent massive voter disenfranchisement brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, and pointed out that it is important for every qualified Filipino to cast his/her vote and choose the country’s next leaders.

"At a time of uncertainty, each and every office of the government is tasked to be flexible and alert,” the House leaders said.

“In order to avoid massive disenfranchisement, the [Comelec] must extend the period for voter registration until 31 October 2021. This is also to give leeway to Filipinos whose registration were delayed because of the prevailing circumstances," they added.

They said voter registration would have been an ordinary concern if there had been no pandemic.

“But we are living under extraordinary circumstances. The public health crisis has been prolonged and many prospective voters have been forced to delay their registration this year and in 2020," they said.

Twenty-three senators have filed a bill seeking to extend the voter registration period for the 2022 national and local elections.

Senate Bill 2408 was filed last Monday and sponsored on the plenary Tuesday afternoon. All members of the upper chamber supported the measure except for Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.

The Comelec earlier rejected the proposal to move the deadline to October 31, 2021 but it has extended the voter registration hours.

Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon had said the matter would be discussed by the commission en banc in its session on Wednesday, September 22. --KBK, GMA News