There was a dearth of new voters in the Saturday registration of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Pateros.
According to Armando Mallorca, Pateros election officer, only 28 new voters registered with their office last Oct. 16, the first Saturday registration under Comelec’s extension set from Oct. 11 to 30.
"Perhaps they thought our office was not open (last Saturday)," said Mallorca.
In the first week of the extended registration for the May 9, 2022 elections, Comelec-Pateros registered 649 new applicants from Oct. 11 to 15 or a daily average of 130 new voters. On Oct. 11, 176 new voters were registered followed by 117 on Oct. 12, 128 on Oct. 13, 125 on Oct. 14 and 103 on Oct. 15.
The Comelec extended the registration hours up to 7 p.m. and opened registration every Saturday on Oct. 16 and 23 in local Comelec offices and malls.
"To reiterate. all types of application will be accepted, not just those that may come from first-time registrants,” said Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez.
Under this, voter registration will be from Mondays to Fridays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The extended hours and Saturday registration are implemented in the National Capital Region (NCR); municipalities of Alcala and San Quintin in Pangasinan; Tarlac City and the municipalities of Capas and Concepcion in Tarlac; all municipalities and city in Quezon Province; Labo, Camarines Norte; Castilla Sorsogon; and the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu in Cebu Province.
Local areas with registration from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday registration on Oct. 16 and 23 are: Municipalities of Anda, Sto. Tomas and Sual in Pangasinan; municipalities of Aringay, Balaoan and Caba in La Union; all cities and municipalities of Ilocos Sur; and the municipalities of Balatan, Bula, Cabusao, Goa, Lagonoy, Libmanan, Magarao, Minalabac. Ragay, SagNay, San Fernando. San Jose, Tigaon and Tinambac in Camarines Sur.
The rest of the country will have voter registration from Mondays to Fridays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Registration will be conducted on the last day on Oct. 30, the Comelec added.