Panayam kay Spokeperson DIR. John Rex Laudiangco ng Commission on Elections patungkol sa mahigit na 5 milyong rehistradong botante, tinaggal sa listahan ng Comelec
Panayam kay Spokeperson DIR. John Rex Laudiangco ng Commission on Elections patungkol sa mahigit na 5 milyong rehistradong botante, tinaggal sa listahan ng Comelec
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00:00Deactivation of more than 5 million voters for the next election and the voter's registration record of Alice Guo.
00:10We will talk with Director John Rex Laudianco, the spokesperson of the Commission on Elections or COMELEC.
00:18Director Laudianco, good afternoon.
00:22Good afternoon, Ma'am Nina and ASEC-WENG and to all our viewers.
00:27Director John, first of all, you deactivated more than 5 million voters for the next election and the next year.
00:37What is the reason for this? And most of them are from which region?
00:44This is a result of the implementation of COMELEC of the Republic Act 8189,
00:49our continuing system of voter registration,
00:51where the law states that if a registered voter did not vote in the next two elections or more,
00:59COMELEC must deactivate him.
01:02The purpose of this law is to ensure that he is still alive and active.
01:06It is a very easy way for you to vote again.
01:10You just need to reactivate.
01:12You don't need to get a new biometrics, a picture of your signature because it's already in COMELEC.
01:18The reason we see here, Ma'am Nina, is either our countryman died or he moved to another place and did not vote in his former place.
01:30That's why in this case, we still have time to reactivate.
01:36That's why COMELEC released this data to give you a chance to reactivate.
01:42The reason is that he was able to transfer.
01:45That's the reason why he was not able to vote.
01:48If you want to transfer with reactivation, you can do that.
01:52This is just an example, Ma'am Nina, but most of the people who were deactivated are here in Metro Manila.
01:59Sir, from those who were removed from the list, how many of them were reactivated?
02:04And how is the process for those who want to leave again?
02:08Not that many are still being reactivated as of now.
02:12But COMELEC made the process easier.
02:14The only form that can be downloaded and printed from our website or asked for for free,
02:20wherever COMELEC receives it, just check the reactivation.
02:24And what you will do here is to go to the office of the election officer who is with you.
02:31If you cannot, you can go to our Registered Anywhere Program sites.
02:36Just check on our Facebook page and on our website where that Registered Anywhere Program is.
02:42So even if it's not in your area, as long as there is a Registered Anywhere Program,
02:46that's where you will be reactivated.
02:48COMELEC will reactivate and adjust your data wherever you are registered as a voter.
02:54And the third way is easier.
02:56Just scan that fully filled up form.
02:59Email it to the email address of our election officer who is with you.
03:04You will see the official email address on our website.
03:08It's there in our directories.
03:10After you email that, you will be scheduled for an online conference,
03:17a video conferencing where you will be watched by our election officer.
03:21It's very easy to be reactivated.
03:23Okay, so sir, how will I know if I have been deactivated?
03:29First of all, as a voter, we know if we have voted for two elections,
03:36if we have not voted for two elections or more.
03:39Think about it.
03:40Did you not vote in the 2022 elections?
03:43Did you not vote in the barangay elections?
03:45If you did not vote in those two elections,
03:48you can assume that because of the next election, you are no longer active.
03:54You can verify from our election officers the status of your registration.
03:59And at the same time, you will just verify.
04:01The queue is still wide, not that long.
04:04You will be reactivated if you are really with those who have been deactivated.
04:08For those who have forgotten or are unsure,
04:11maybe when the election comes, they will be deactivated.
04:15So for now, let's verify.
04:19Now, how many registered voters are there for the 2025 elections?
04:27For now, since the barangay elections, we are at 68 million.
04:32But we expect that because of the deactivation, we will decrease.
04:36Maybe we are only at 60 million.
04:39But if we can add and approve,
04:42the newly registered voters who are now at around 4.8 million applications that we have received,
04:48we may reach around 66 to 68 million again when the 2025 elections come.
04:56Sir, how can we know if you have been reactivated?
05:00I was one of those who were reactivated months ago.
05:03There was someone in Malacanang who was reactivated by those who wanted to vote again.
05:09He told me that he was not sure when he will know if he will be reactivated.
05:14My colleagues also applied for reactivation.
05:20Just like the process under Republic Act 8189,
05:23because the application for reactivation must go through the Election Registration Board hearing.
05:28We have periodic ERB hearings.
05:30As of now, everyone who applied since July 15,
05:35our ERB hearing is on August 15.
05:38You can expect that on the next days,
05:40your names will be listed in the barangays where you registered or where you were reactivated.
05:46There will be another hearing on August 15.
05:49After that, we will list your names before the election again.
05:53Our so-called list of voters, as we said,
05:56we will reopen the precinct finder.
05:58You will know where you will vote, which precinct and what is the status of your registration.
06:06For those who want to ensure,
06:09you can, after the ERB hearing,
06:12you will be informed when the ERB hearing will be held.
06:15After that, you can inquire again with the Comelec
06:19if you have been approved or disapproved of the application.
06:23Sir, what is the assurance that this will not be allowed,
06:28the 5 million that you are activating,
06:30what is the assurance that there will be no more flying voters
06:34because you said that you need to make sure that these voters are still alive,
06:39because there are still a lot of flying voters,
06:41so how can you assure that there will be no more like that now?
06:46If you will notice, in 2023 barangay in SK Elections,
06:50more than 500,000 were removed from the Comelec's list due to double or multiple registration.
06:57They are what we call flying voters.
06:59That is why practically, we have not seen an incident of flying voters due to the removal of double or multiple registration.
07:07Now, to those who are activating, to those who are applying for registration,
07:11before you are approved,
07:13expect that your imprints will go through the automated fingerprint identification system in our application.
07:21We will see that 100% if you are registered before or not.
07:27And to those who are activating to register again,
07:30if we see that there is a double, your application will not be approved.
07:34One more thing, to those who are activating,
07:36maybe this will be announced,
07:38if you really intend to register again,
07:43even if you know that you are already registered in another place or even in the same place,
07:47and you really activated,
07:49the Comelec will not allow you to file a case that we call election offense.
07:54Thank you, sir. Let's move to another topic.
07:57How is your investigation on the voter registration records of suspended Bamban Tarlac Mayor Alice Go?
08:05What is the outcome of your investigation?
08:09Although our commission has not yet published anything about this,
08:13but it is clear that after the technical examination of the fingerprint and handwriting on the Comelec's records yesterday,
08:21in our office in Bamban Tarlac,
08:23our fingerprint and handwriting experts will submit to the law department.
08:27The law department is expected to form a fact-finding committee
08:31where they will determine based on the gathered evidence,
08:35if there is a possible violation of the election law.
08:39And if there is, we expect that within this week,
08:42the law department will submit a recommendation to the Commission and Bank.
08:45The Commission and Bank will examine if the gathered evidence and circumstances are sufficient,
08:50if there is a possible violation of the election law.
08:52And if there is, we know that the Commission and Bank will order to file a motto-proprio complaint for material misrepresentation.
08:59This is an election offense, a criminal case,
09:01where the next step according to the law, according to the procedure, is a preliminary investigation.
09:06In the preliminary investigation, we will give the respondent a chance to answer,
09:12to file a counter-affidavit, to submit a testimony and evidence,
09:15so that we can carry out the due process.
09:17And after that, if there is a probable cause of violation of the election law,
09:23the next step is filing criminal information to the Regional Trial Court.
09:27You might ask, why to the RTC?
09:30First of all, that is what the law establishes according to the Omnibus Election Code.
09:33Second, because an election offense involves imprisonment for up to six years,
09:38there is a violation of the right to vote,
09:40there is a perpetual disqualification to hold public office,
09:44the court needs to make a decision here.
09:47Sir, just one question.
09:49Nina and I were talking here.
09:51For example, if a registered voter suddenly dies before the elections,
09:56what is the security that he will not be able to use his name?
10:00Because in voting, the fingerprints are not taken.
10:06For example, if he dies in December or January.
10:10That's a good question, Nina.
10:12First of all, in the next election, and in the past national and local elections,
10:17the so-called Election Day Computerized Voters List,
10:21the one held by the teachers, we have a picture of it.
10:25So, when we present it, the teachers can verify if it's really us
10:31when we present it in front of them or not,
10:33so that they can give us a ballot.
10:34And we expect that in the 2025 elections,
10:37aside from having a picture, that picture is already colored.
10:41It's easier for our electoral boards to identify if it's really us in front of them.
10:46Second, the Republic Act 8189 says,
10:50it's our duty to tell the Comelec that a person has died,
10:54our civil registrars.
10:56That's why we have a relationship with the Association of Civil Registrars
11:00so that it's easier for us to issue a certified true copy of the death certificates.
11:05Now that we have the death certificates,
11:08we can immediately cancel the registration of that person
11:11and we won't have it thrown in the hall.
11:14We can inform the teachers.
11:15We also have a request to our fellow countrymen.
11:17It's possible that he died in another place
11:20and the same civil registrar cannot issue the death certificate.
11:24So that it won't reach our office.
11:27Our fellow countrymen who are in possession of the death certificate,
11:30we will talk to them.
11:31Please inform the Comelec that your fellow countrymen have died.
11:35So that we can remove them from the list.
11:38We can inform the teachers.
11:40No one can give a ballot to represent the dead person.
11:45Okay, thank you very much.
11:47To your time, Director John Rex Laudianco,
11:50the spokesperson of the Commission on Elections or Comelec.
11:55Thank you very much.