ARM comelec continues voters registration -By Bernie Concepcion

By; Bernie Concepcion Amid the call for the  postponement of the regional election in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao the Commission on Elections will continue accepting registration of new qualified voters with the regionwide10-day Special list-ups scheduled ahead of the scheduled August 2011 balloting. Since early last year, the poll body had started its preparations amid call for the deferment of the regional election, According to ARMM–Comelec Regional Director Ray Sumalipao he has advised provincial and city election officers in the 5 provinces and 2 cities of the ARMM to proceed with the holding of the special listing of voters which began from March 21 to 31. Postponement of ARMM polls was approved Tuesday (March 22) night by Congress after the voting in the plenary.  Regional Directorr Sumalipao said as mandated. the comelec will always be ready and 'we are always doing our task in preparation for the political exercise following normally, our calendar of activities set for the scheduled ARMM polls. Earlier, Comelec spokesperson Atty James Jimenez said, "Preparations are under way, even if the elections were deferred, the registration will not be an exercise in futility because the registered voters could still cast their ballots in other elections. Sumalipao stresses that new qualified voters who are aged 18 above can go to the different registration points in the provinces in order to be able to vote in the upcoming ARMM elections. He said the comelec is now using the Voters' Registration System (FAS) the machine which has a device called Automated Fingerprint Identification System, (AFIS) that can detect double or multiple registration entries of unscrupulous voters. The comelec reminded the new registrants that they cannot anymore "cheat" in this special registration considering all the safety nets have been in place using directly the individual finger prints as basis for determining data if a voter has registered more than once. A maximum of less than 10 percent increase is expected depending on the number of population of qualified registrants' in every town which has an AFIS machine installed under the care of the Municipal Election Office. All double or multiple registrants shall be processed and endorsed to Comelec central in Manila for appropriate action. Congress approved on 3rd and final reading at about 9:53 on Monday  night House Bill 4146 with 191 voting in favor and 47 against for the ARMM election postponement. Except only for Rep. Nur Jaafar of Tawi-Tawi and Rep. Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte, who opted to abstain from out of the 249 house members present.  Congress has acted on the proposed measure and approved by majority votes the bill after getting the majority votes of the house members, 3 days before it goes into a month-long vacation on March 25. The bill's approval came Monday March 22 when special registration was almost entering its third day. HB 4146, certified as urgent in by President Benigno Aquino, III and approved in the LEDAC, calls for the postponement of the August ARMM polls and hold it simultaneously and in synchrony with the mid-term national and local elections on 2013. The bill likewise gives the authority for the President to appoint Officers in Charge (OIC) to manage the affairs of governance in the ARMM for more than two years until after the 2013 elections when a new set of autonomous officials shall have been elected and assumed.  The Comelec, in an earlier resolution, calls for the registration of voters who are Filipinos of voting age and living in the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, the provinces composing the ARMM. The resolution said applications for registration, transfer of registration records, change/correction of entries in the registration records, reactivation of registration records and inclusion of registration records/reinstatement of name in the list of voters, shall be personally filed beginning March 21, 2011," the resolution said. The applicants may come personally to the office of the municipal election officers in communities they reside and register from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Registration will continue even on holidays during the 10-day list up period but would not entertain holding extension days for the voters' list up, reminded the comelec. Registrants are required to bring any of the following identification documents: Current employee's identification card (ID), with the signature of employers or authorized representative; postal ID; student's ID or Library Card, signed by the school authority; senior citizen's ID; driver's license; NBI/PNP Clearance; passport; SSS/GSIS ID; IBP ID; PRC ID or any other valid ID. Except for cedula or community tax certificates issued by the barangay will not be honored  among the identification documents.(Faber_concepcion2004@yahoo.com)     Comelc continues