by Vency D. Bulayungan

LAGAWE, Ifugao- The Commission on Elections is reminding the public that registration of voters is now ongoing in the different municipal Comelec offices.

Speaking in the daily program “Humangan with PIA,” election officer Jerome Bantiyan is encouraging those who are qualified to vote especially students, to visit their COMELEC offices now as it is still vacation time to avoid overcrowding on the last minute of registration.

He cited past registrations where registrants come at the last minute or request for extension because they were not able to register during the given period.



Bantiyan said those who are qualified to register are Filipino citizens who are 18 years of age; residents of the Philippines for at least one year, and in the place wherein he proposes to vote, for at least six months immediately preceding the election; and those no disqualified by law.



On the other hand, Bantiyan said that those who are disqualified from registering are those: persons who had been imprisoned for not less than one year and have not been removed by plenary pardon or amnesty; any person who had been adjudged of having committed any crime involving disloyalty to the duly constituted government, such as rebellion or any crime against national security unless restored to his full civil and political rights in accordance with law; and the insane or incompetent persons as declared by competent authority that such person is no longer insane or incompetent.

“Any person disqualified to register due to imprisonment shall automatically reacquire the right to vote upon expiration of five years after service of sentence,” Bantiyan said.



Applicants must personally appear before the election officer, Bantiyan said. *(JDP/VDB-PIA CAR, Ifugao)