Comelec orders probe of double registrants

By Peter A. Balocnit

TABUK CITY, Kalinga -- The Commission on Elections has directed election officers to probe double or multiple registrants and delete their names from the voters list in their old registration. 

Provincial Election officer Rogelio Bagtang said the Comelec central office ordered them to convene their respective election registration board (ERB) to effect total cleansing of double registrants until October 31 this year.

He said results of the automated finger print scanner (AFIS) matching report done by Comelec central office show all municipal voters’ records had double registrants.

The AFIS scanning machine was used by Comelec to identify double registrants nationwide.

           

Based on envelopes containing records of double registrants from Comelec Central office that they have opened, Pinukpuk town had 208 double registrants while Balbalan had 67, Bagtang said.

           

Billy Walley, Pinukpuk Municipal Election Registrar said they will convene their ERB to deliberate on the matter. “Before deleting records of double registrants, we have to conduct hearing first,” he said.

           

He said the latest registration of a voter will mean deletion of the previous. “We hope the process will cleanse our records of double registrants in order to have a more credible election next year,” Walley said.