MANILA – Filipinos who will turn 18 years old on or before the May 2018 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) have been urged to register to be able to participate in the forthcoming polls.
The chair of the election watchdog Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), lawyer Rene Sarmiento, said it is important for them to participate in the country’s electoral exercises.
“PPCRV is inviting voters 18 years of age (including those 17 years old today but 18 years old on the the day of the election) to register and to vote,” he said.
Sarmiento added, “One vote is important because in barangay and SK elections, there are tie votes.”
The official of the citizens’ arm of the Commission on Elections in the last polls issued the statement as COMELEC is set to resume the voters’ registration on Monday, November 6 that will run until November 30.
He noted that the Offices of the Election Officer (OEOs) will also accept applications for reactivation of registrations that have been deactivated.
“For those whose registration records were deactivated (those who did not vote in two regular elections) to go to the office of Election Officers for reactivation,” Sarmiento said.
He added they will work with COMELEC for the registration of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in satellite offices and malls.
On Monday, all city/district/municipality Offices of the Election Officer (OEOs), except in the province of Lanao del Sur, will be accepting applications for registration, reactivation, and change/correction of entries/and inclusion/reinstatement of records in the list of voters.
Applications may be filed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m, from Mondays to Saturdays, including holidays, until the end of the month.
Qualified to register as regular voters are Filipino citizens, at least 18 years of age on or before May 14, 2018 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls; resident of the Philippines for at least one year; and a resident in the place wherein he/she proposes to vote, for at least six months immediately preceding the elections.
Qualified to register as SK voters are Filipino citizens; at least 15 years of age on or before May 14, 2018 BSKE but not more than 30 years old; and residing in the barangay for at least 6 months on or before May 14, 2018 polls.