Determined to eliminate flying voters, the House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a measure cleansing the national voters’ list from multiple registrants to curb cheating and ensure the results of elections are reflective of the genuine will of the people.
Tarlac Rep. Susan Yap, one of the authors of House Bill No. 3469, said those who shall be submitted for validation are voters registered as of May 10, 2010 national elections and those who will register under Republic Act No. 8189 or “The Voter’s Registration Act of 1996” without biometrics data.
Yap said the city and municipal Election Officer, through the use of Data Capturing Machines (DCMs), shall conduct the validation process by taking the biometrics of voters.
“A registered voter shall submit for live capture of his or her photograph, fingerprint and signature through the use of DCMs before the EO of the city or municipality,” she said.
Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, co-author of the measure, said an automated general registration will help the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to nullify all existing registrations, purge the padded old voter’s list and come up with a new computerized certified voter’s list that is free from double or multiple registrants.
“By doing this, it will ensure an honest, clean and credible election, plebiscite or referendum. It is hoped that cheating during electoral exercises would be a thing of the past,” he said.
Under the measure, the Comelec shall implement, in a uniform and non-discriminatory manner, a single, official, centralized, interactive computerized voter registration list defined, maintained and administered by the Commission.
Full Article: Zamboanga Today Online, the most read newspaper in Zamboanga City | House okays bill seeking to cleanse national voters’ list.