Comelec sets charges vs double registrants for barangay, SK polls

By Stephanie Sevillano 

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday said it plans to file charges against voters who intentionally secured double or multiple registrations under the National List of Registration of Voters (NLRV).
    The Comelec made the statement alongside the conduct of a special Election Registration Board (ERB) hearing nationwide to address the issue of double or multiple voting registrations.
    This is still part of Comelec's preparation for the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).    
    During the Laging Handa public briefing, Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said the Commission is looking into almost 120,000 voters who may have deliberately registered twice.
    "Mukhang sinadya po talaga nila na magrehistro muli. Mayroon po kaming mga nakita na gumamit ng ibang pangalan, iniba ang itsura, pero dahil pareho ang kanilang fingerprint, natuklasan at nakita po namin sa kanila, in fact po, 7,000 complaints na po ang naka-ready kami na i-file po noong last week pa. (It looks like they intentionally registered again. We have seen others who used other names, with different faces, but because they have the same fingerprints, we have discovered them. In fact, 7,000 complaints have been readied for filing since last week)," he said.
    Once finalized, the preliminary investigation shall be launched to determine who shall be facing election offense charges.
    Laudiangco said an act of election offense shall be penalized with six years of imprisonment, forfeiture of voting rights, and perpetual disqualification to hold public office, whether through election or appointment.
    Moreover, Comelec said the nationwide ERB hearing also intends to organize the NLRV by removing double or multiple registrations.
    To date, there are almost 498,000 voters with double or multiple registrations which are targeted to be arranged by this month.
    "Karamihan po diyan ay iyong mga lumipat ng tirahan, iyong nag-transfer na hindi nabura iyong dating registration; or nag-transfer po muli at iyong dating transfer ay hindi pa rin nabura (Most of these [figures] are those who changed their addresses, but with their the older registrations unerased, or those who transferred with previous transfer [records] not yet removed)," Laudiangco said.
    Unreported deceased voters shall also be removed once the civil registry provided its nationwide update.
    Meanwhile, the Comelec said in a separate statement it will also conduct its mall voting simulation for the upcoming BSKE next month.
    Laudiangco said the nationwide simulation shall only be done in select areas on July 15.
    These selected venues include SM Manila and Robinsons Place Manila for the National Capital Region (NCR), Robinsons Galleria in Cebu City, and SM Legazpi City in Albay. – PNA