Students from different high schools troop to the Comelec office at Osmeña Blvd. during the last day of registration for the Sanguniang Kabataan (SK) election. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Though registration may have slowed down in the past few days, the number of youth voters in Cebu in next year’s Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections rose slightly from the 2010 elections.
The provincial Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it recorded 30,485 registrants from Sept. 20, a Saturday, to Sept. 28 last Sunday.
Adding the 83,973 registrants in July last year, the number of registrants totaled 114,458 in Cebu, Comelec Provincial Election Asst. Arthur Patiga said.
He said this is higher than the 101,142 recorded in 2010. Yesterday’s final day of registration proceeded smoothly. Registration was cut off at 5 p.m. yesterday.
Comelec provincial election officer Ferdinand Gujilde said there will be no extension.
He said the number of registrants peaked last week, when students had no classes.
Gujilde said Comelec tallied 9,086 registrants last Saturday while 8,590 were recorded last Sunday.
In Cebu City, there were almost 7,000 youths who registered — around 2,900 in the north district and 3,600 in the south district.
North district Election Officer Marchel Sarno said there are a total of around 9,000 SK voters in the north district including those who were already registered.
Cebu City south district election assistant Bernard George Delos Reyes said around 1,900 already registered from the start until last Saturday. Another 1,000 registered last Sunday and another 700 registered during the last day yesterday.
Comelec Lapu-Lapu City officer Ann Janette Chua Hu-Lamban said they registered 900 youths in the past two days. They have yet to finalize their numbers, she said.
Marigondon National High School excused 20 of their students from classes so they can register.
“I think it is just right that we register and vote, we teenagers also have a say in issues pertaining to the government and we should have representatives,” said Elizer Cortes Jr., who was still in uniform when he registered.
In Mandaue City, Comelec City officer Anna Fleur Gujilde said the few registrants in yesterday’s deadline was understandable since a lot of them already registered last year.
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