- MITCH M. LIPA
The Comelec Election Registration Board in Bacolod City will hear more than 10,000 applications for new and reactivated voters’ registrations on July 19.
Atty. Kathrina Trinio-Cana, election officer of Bacolod City, said that any group or individual can submit evidences to support their opposition or protest against an applicant voter, five days before the ERB hearing.
The hearing is a procedure to determine if there are questions or oppositions to a voter registration application.
The 10,199 applications to be heard included the new registrants, those who applied for reactivation in the voters’ list, and those who want to make corrections in their registration records, from April 13 to June 30.
The ERB is composed of the election officer, the DepEd schools superintendent, and the local civil registrar. They are responsible in approving or disapproving the entry of voters to be included in the list for the May 2022 presidential and local elections.
Cana said the Comelec Bacolod has yet to receive any protest or opposition from any group against a certain voter or group of voters, as of July 6. She said the deadline for filing of protest is July 14.
The registration of new voters and application for the reactivation of voting records also continue at the Comelec office, with the last day of registration scheduled on September 30.
The next ERB hearing will be on the third week of October, or two weeks after the filing of the Certificates of Candidacy on October 1-8.
Meanwhile, Comelec Bacolod is still waiting for the submission of requirements from a youth group that earlier requested for a satellite registration.
Cana said among the requirements they are asking is the certification and permission from the Emergency Operations Center which states that the area where the satellite registration will be held is COVID-free in the past 14 days.
Comelec Bacolod held satellite registrations on June 25 and 26 at SM City Mall, and on July 3 at the Mandalagan City Mall. – MML
