Thousands of new Cebu City registrants line up to wait for their turn to get their biometrics taken at the Robinson Cybergate in Fuente Osmeña, Cebu City. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
The last day of registration saw more than a thousand Cebu City potential voters lining up in Robinsons Cybergate for the off-site registration of the Cebu City Commission on Elections (Comelec).
The large crowd partly disrupted the Comelec’s priority number system.
Some individuals who arrived as early as 4 a.m. were entertained at 2 p.m.
Some jumped the line to finish early.
“We came here early and lined up near the door. It took us a long time to get inside. People crowded the door and there was no clear line to follow or clear distribution of priority numbers,” said Mary Therese Alcantara in Cebuano.
The 19-year-old first-time voter from barangay Lusaran, arrived at the mall at 4 a.m. ready to fill up forms and have her biometrics data taken.
After receiving a priority number from one of the Comelec staffers, she was shocked to see her number was already 900.
“Those who were behind us had a priority number of 60. It was not done right,” she said in Cebuano.
She observed that many people didn’t fall in line and that several people cut in line to get priority numbers early.
She said she expected to finish by 11 a.m. but had to skip breakfast and lunch while waiting for her turn.
Alcantara, a graduating hotel and restaurant management student in a university in Cebu City, said she registered on the last day because she was busy with school activities.
A Comelec staffer said the priority numbers went askew after people started crowding the person in charge of distributing the numbers.
Lawyer Marchel Sarno, Comelec Cebu City North District election officer, however, said that all things considered, the day’s activity was in order.
He said it was natural to expect people to complain if they didn’t receive a priority number and were delayed in registering.
He said the system worked fine.
The first floor was reserved for south district registrants while the second floor was used for north district filers.
Omar Mamalinta, assistant election officer, estimated that 1,500 people came to register as voters.
“The big size of the crowd is expected because it’s the last day.