Speaker Romualdez, Comelec Chair Garcia sign MOU

THE House of Representatives has joined the Register Anywhere Project of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to increase the number of registered voters for the electoral exercises.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the House participation was signed Tuesday at the Batasan complex in Quezon City by Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia.

Rep. Maximo Dalog Jr. of Mt. Province, who chairs the committee on suffrage and electoral reforms, delivered the opening remarks.

Other House and Comelec officials attended the MOU signing.

“Our involvement in this laudable project is our modest contribution to the efforts of the Comelec to register as many voters as possible.

We encourage our House members, personnel, and their dependents and relatives, as well as those of attached agencies, and our people in general to take advantage of this offsite or satellite listing project so they could exercise their right of suffrage in future elections,” said Romualdez.

“I’d like to commend again the Comelec, once again, for your innovation, your creativity, and your service to the Filipino people and now particularly to the House of Representatives. I understand that this project has been long in the pipeline in the Comelec for implementation it seeks to address the hindrances brought by the extant system. This indeed is a very, very credible initiative because it brings to the fore not just the efficiency, but of course, the ability of the Comelec working in partnership with the stakeholders in making sure that the basic right of suffrage of every Filipino is protected,” Romualdez said.

“Gone are the days when new and old voters have to agonize falling in line just to register and sometimes falling prey to some people who take advantage of the system. And now we shall have this innovation here in the House of Representatives to lend its service to new applications, the transfers, the updating and the other needs of the electorate and the voters in making sure that their right to vote, to suffrage is protected,” Romualdez said.

House Secretary General (SG) Reginald Velasco has informed members of the chamber, employees, congressional staff and personnel of attached agencies of the registration at the Batasan.

In a memorandum, SG Velasco said registration for House members and employees and personnel of agencies will be on January 25 and 26, while that for their dependents will be on Jan. 27, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

It will be conducted at the North Wing Lobby of the Batasan complex, he said.

He said those who will turn 15 years of age by October 30, 2023 may register.

Under the House-Comelec MOU, aside from the registration venue and similar requirements, the House would provide COVID-19 antigen test for 30 Comelec employees.

For its part, the poll body would make available the needed personnel, registration machines, laptops, and other equipment.

The Comelec would accept new registration, reactivation, transfer of registration, transfer from post to local in case of overseas voters, and updating of records of senior citizens and persons with
disability.

The Comelec is conducting offsite registration at the same time as its regular listing in all its field offices throughout the country.

Registration started last December 12 and will go on until the end of this month.