COMELEC to deadline beaters: It’s your fault!

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The Commission on Elections said the public should not blame the agency on the predicament they are facing since they waited until the last days of the registration period. The poll body was referring to late registrants spending long hours in line to have their biometrics taken or validate their registration.

Spokesperson James Jimenez said it was not the Comelec’s fault why deadline beaters were faced with such predicament in local Comelec offices and in satellite registration centers in malls.

Jimenez added, “You could have done this much sooner, you could have done this with much less trouble if you registered even just a month before now. Lines were very short, you could actually complete the process from start to finish in another 15 minutes. If you are not having a walk in the park right now don’t be surprised.”

The poll body official said they were doing the best they could to accommodate those who decided to beat the deadline.”It’s not our fault. We are trying to make it easy as possible for you. But ultimately, the system will have its limitation,” he added.

With this, he noted that they have augmented their personnel in registration centers as well as in providing additional voter registration machine (VRM) in areas where they are needed.

“Sa National Capital Region lang naman talaga malaking problem area natin because this is where the bulk of the deadline beaters are,” he said.

Jimenez added they have asked the assistance of its citizens’ arm, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) to assist registrants in the last four days of the registration period.

Since last week, the poll body has implemented a 12-hour working schedule in local office to accommodate registrants who are trying to beat the October 31 deadline.

“The deadline has been set. Its been in placed for more than a year now we should respect that,” he said.

The nationwide registration started last May 2014. (PNA /Ferdinand G. Patinio)

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