The Senate approved on second reading on Wednesday a bill extending voter registration way ahead of the upcoming 2022 national and local elections.
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, with 22 other senators signing up as co-authors, earlier filed the enabling legislation following the adoption of a concurrent resolution endorsed by Senate and the House of Representatives, asking the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to extend voter registration.
As passed, the remedial legislation extends the voter registration period to October 31, 2021, a month after the current deadline of September 30, 2021 set by Comelec.
“Given that the registration period was suspended for over five months due to various community lockdowns across the country, it is only right that we push the deadline back, and give our people a chance to come out and register, and exercise their right of suffrage,” Zubiri said.
Just last month, it was pointed out the Comelec reported that 61 million Filipinos have already registered, but noted this falls short of the Philippine Statistics Authority’s projected voting population of 73.3 million.
“Ready naman pong bumoto ang mamamayang Pilipino,” Zubiri assured, adding, “Maghapon silang pumipila sa registration centers. Pero kulang po talaga ang oras.”
The Senate Majority leader pleaded: “Let’s give our people a chance to come out and register, dahil requisite iyan sa karapatan nilang bumoto at makibahagi sa ating demokrasya.”