1K voters in Cebu City try to beat Comelec registration deadline

Cebu City residents rush to beat the September 30 deadline for voters registration. | Gerard Vincent Francisco

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Raymond Rebollos, who turned 18 in January, traveled three hours from the mountain barangay of Tabunan in Cebu City’s south district to a mall at the North Reclamation Area where Comelec’s offsite registration was held.

Rebollos was with an older sibling during his visit.  They started to line up at around 12 noon and was accommodated for registration after three hours.

He said that he only found time to register today, September 30, especially since they lived in the mountains of Cebu City. Travel was also costly.

“Nalipay ko kay diri sa Robinsons Galleria, bugnaw, nya komportable,” he said.

(I am happy that the Comelec transferred the venue of the registration to Robinsons Galleria because the area was cool and more comfortable.)

Rebollos was among the about a thousand Cebuanos who tried to beat the deadline of registration set by the Commission on Elections head office.

Lawyer Marchel Sarno, Cebu City’s  north district election officer, said that they expected the influx of a huge crowd of registrants today. This was he reason they decided to move the registration venue from the Comelec Cebu City office located near the Basilica to Robinsons Galleria on Friday, September 27, to provide a bigger and more comfortable venue for the public.

But there were also those who were unaware of the transfer of the venue of the Comelec registration, the reason why they almost missed the 5 p.m. deadline.

A resident of Barangay Bulacao, who asked not to be named, visited the Comelec south district office located at the WDC Building along Osmeña Boulevard in Cebu City at around 2 p.m. to have her registration transferred from Talisay City to her current residence in Cebu City. But she found that the office was close.

“Wala na gyod ko kagahin ug oras kay trabaho man gud ko,” she told CDN Digital.

(I was not able to find time to register because of my work.)

The Bulacao resident learned of the transfer of registration from advisories were posted on the door on the transfer of the venue for registration.

Sarno said they set a 5 p.m. cut off-time for the registration while only those located within the Comelec area will be accommodated.

As of this writing, Sarno said they have not received word from their head office for a possible extension of the deadline of the registration. / dcb