COMELEC WILL BE IN TROUBLE IF MILLIONS ARE BARRED TO VOTE IN 2016 POLLS

COMELEC WILL BE IN TROUBLE IF

MILLIONS ARE BARRED TO VOTE IN 2016 POLLS

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) may face legal problems and public anger if millions of registered voters will be barred from voting in the 2016 elections.

Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. predicted trouble for the Comelec, which is persuading over 4 million registered voters to have their biometrics taken as a requirement for voting in the 2016 election.

“Imagine, more than 4 million voters will be disqualified from voting in the 2016 presidential and local elections because of the lack of biometrics? This invites trouble.  How will the Comelec be able to convince the people that this is right? I hope the people will not get mad. But I’m afraid they surely will,” Marcos said in a statement.

Biometrics data, which includes a voter’s photograph, fingerprint and signature, is mandated by the Mandatory Biometrics Registration Act of 2013 as a requisite for voting.

The poll body has started sending letters to encourage registered voters to have their biometrics taken, under threat of being delisted from the voters’ roster.

“We all know how passionate the Filipinos are about the elections. I wouldn’t be surprised if those who would be disqualified from voting will give the Comelec nightmares like cases in courts or social actions,” Marcos said.

Marcos echoed the Comelec’s appeal for the electorate to have their biometrics taken and even urged local government units to boost the poll body’s effort.

“I think local officials can help a lot because their constituents look up to them. Kapag sinabi nila sa kanilang nasasakupan na magpa-biometrics kayo, palagay ko susunod sila,” he said. /MP