Voter registration conducted for over 300 PDLs at Manila City Jail
By Chito Chavez
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) conducted on Saturday, Jan. 21, an on-site voter registration for more than 300 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the Manila City Jail-Male Dormitory in preparation for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE).
BJMP chief Jail Director Allan Iral said the move was part of the coordination with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to register as many voters for the elections set in October this year.
"It is our duty, as a government agency, to ensure that all citizens, regardless of their circumstances, have a voice in the democratic process,” BJMP chief Jail Director Allan Iral said.
“Our personnel in the BJMP are working diligently to ensure that PDLs in our care are able to exercise their right to vote during the December polls,” he added.
As of Jan. 21, the BJMP has recorded 66,244 registered PDL voters out of the 126,680 jail population in all its 478 jail facilities nationwide.
Of this number, 27,741 PDL were considered newly-registered voters.
“We encourage all PDL to register and make their voices heard on election day,” Iral said.