The National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) wants to see changes in the country's voter registration process.
In a statement on Monday, August 15, the poll watchdog group recommended to the Legislature the following:
• Allow data sharing agreements between the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in order to dispense with the voter registration process.
•Require the PSA and the Civil Registrars nationwide to submit to the Comelec the information on deceased persons so that they can be purged from the voter registration database; •Allow data on citizens turning 15 years old for purposes of the SK elections, and 18 years old for purposes of regular elections, plebiscites, referenda, etc., to be shared by the Civil Registrars with Comelec.
•Repeal "Any person who did not vote in the two successive preceding regular elections as shown by their voting records" as a ground for deactivation under Section 27 of Republic Acts No. 8189 (for local voters) and 9189, as amended by R.A. 10590 (for overseas voters).
"Namfrel believes that these measures will greatly help make the voter registration process more efficient, less costly, and more convenient for Filipinos," it said.
The poll watchdog group on August 10 submitted a report to the Comelec on its observation of the recently concluded resumption of voter registration. A copy of was also sent to the Senate and the House of Representatives.