Comelec ready to accommodate seventh district

SHOULD the bill creating a seventh legislative district in Cebu be enacted, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is ready to accommodate one more congressional seat allocation for next year’s elections.

“It’s not a problem because it’s not tedious for the Comelec en banc to amend (the resolution). Unlike Congress which has 250 members, Comelec en banc only has seven. That’s why it’s easy,” Comelec provincial officer Ferdinand Gujilde said.

Last August 18, Comelec approved Resolution No. 9982 for the allocation of seats for the House of Representatives and other elective posts.

Comelec set the deadline for seat allocations last Aug. 31.

For Cebu province, there is one seat for each of the existing six legislative districts, two for Cebu City and one for the lone district of Lapu-Lapu City.

The Senate approved the bill creating a seventh legislative district in Cebu and it only needs to be signed into law by President Benigno Aquino III.

Once the President signs the bill into law, the Comelec may amend its resolution of the deadline to accommodate additional elective positions for Cebu’s seventh district.

Gujilde said Comelec en banc in Manila will only have to amend the resolution “by virtue of the passage of the law creating the seventh district.”

In an earlier interview, Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III said Provincial Board (PB) Member Peter John Calderon is planning to seek a congressional seat for the new district.

Calderon is now on his third and last term in the PB.

Calderon’s twin brother, Samboan Mayor Raymond Joseph Calderon, is reportedly being eyed by the Liberal Party to be one of the representatives of the second district in the board.

As of present, the LP has not yet named its official candidates for the second district as well as for the seventh district.

On another note, the Comelec provincial office observed a decline in the number of registered voters in the province without biometrics.

Stating figures from the latest Election Registration Board (ERB) hearing, Gujilde said those without biometrics in the province is now at 4.32 percent or 111,737 compared to 4.65 percent in July or roughly 120,000.

“A reminder to our voters—those who want to register or have their data validated, do it now,” Gujilde said.

He said that registration and validation will be halted for one week during the filing of certificates of candidacy from Oct. 12 to 16.

While those without biometrics in the province is still roughly 111,000, Gujilde said this figure is no longer substantial.

As of August 31, the total number of registered voters in Cebu is 2,587,314.