- MITCH M. LIPA
Voter registration at the Comelec office in Bacolod City, including the scheduled satellite registration at Ayala Malls, went on Saturday despite the request from the Emergency Operations Center to suspend the activity due to the rising COVID-19 cases in the city.
Acting Bacolod Election Officer, Atty. Fatima Aspan, said they are following the advice from the Commission on Elections regional office to continue the scheduled activities until the end of the registration period on Sept. 30.
Aspan said she was advised by Comelec Regional Director, Atty. Wilfredo Balisado, to continue the satellite registration with strict observance of health protocols, as he compared the situation in Bacolod with Iloilo City, where the quarantine status is higher.
On Saturday, noting the orderly conduct of registration at Ayala Malls, Aspan plans to extend the satellite registration in the same area on Sept. 20 and 21.
She said Comelec needs to accommodate the long queues of registrants, who were affected after Bacolod Comelec closed its office in August due to COVID-19 infections among its personnel.
Aside from Ayala Malls, Bacolod Comelec also scheduled another satellite registration at SM Mall on Sept. 25.
Meanwhile, Bacolod Election Officer, Atty. Kathrina Trinio-Caña, and other Comelec personnel are expected to return to work on Sept. 27, after completing the 14-day mandatory quarantine due to their exposure to a COVID-19 infected co-worker.
Although their swab test results were negative for the virus, Caña said they have to observe the mandated isolation period. – MML
