Aklan Registers 273,738 Voters

Some 29,309 newly registered voters will troop to Aklan’s polling places in the May 2007 elections.
Final report of Commission on Elections (Comelec)-Aklan reveals the total number of registered voters after the December 31, 2006 deadline for continuing registration pegged the list at 273,738, compared to 244,429 as of August 2006 or 29,309 voters more.
Kalibo, the capital town of Aklan has a total 36,162 duly registered voters followed by Ibajay, with 22,116 voters and New Washington, 21,891 voters.
According to the number of voters in a descending order, the municipality of Banga has 20,174 voters, Batan, 17,649; Malay, 16,930; Numancia, 16,715; Balete, 14,973; Makato,14,783; Libacao, 14,453; Nabas, 14,504; Altavas, 13,437; Malinao,12,996; Tangalan,10,626; Madalag,9,667; Buruanga, 9,373; and Lezo, 7,289.
All municipalities in Aklan has increased their respective number of voters as of December 31, 2006. For this forthcoming election period, there are 1,916 established precincts, 1,328 grouped/clustered precincts and 339 total number of polling places distributed in 327 barangays in Aklan. Comelec-Aklan under OIC Lorena Tumbagahan has conducted several command conferences with the local Philippine National Police (PNP), Kalibo, Aklan in preparation for a clean, honest, and credible elections. The members of local media are being briefed from time to time to update themselves on the forthcoming elections as well as to inform them on the do’s and don’t’s during the election period, which started on January 14 and will end on June 13, 2007.
During the election period, prohibited acts include carrying of guns and other deadly weapons in public places, suspension of elective local officials, transfer of officers and employees in the civil service; use of security forces or bodyguards by candidates whether or not such bodyguards are regular members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines or PNP or other law enforcement agencies and in giving of donations or gifts in cash or in kind, and others.
Other prohibited acts as contained in Comelec Res. 7707 are the appointment or hiring of new employees, creation or filling up of new positions starting March 30, 2007 to May 14, 2007; construction of public works and releasing/disbursing of expenditures of public funds for public works.On May 14, 2007, Election Day, campaigning is prohibited; so is selling, offering, buying or taking liquor, giving, accepting free transportation, food and drinks; selling votes; voting more than once; holding of fairs and cockfights, and selling of merchandise within a radius of 30 meters from the polling places.
Meanwhile, the Comelec has come out with a code of conduct for election officers and employees nationwide to ensure that they will be guided by the highest standard of honesty, impartiality, and transparency in carrying out their task of ensuring honest and orderly elections in May.
(By Venus Villanueva) /MP