On September 24, Kabataan Partylist (KPL) National Capital Region and Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) chapters along with Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights (STAND) – PLM filed a petition at the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to urge for a one-month extension of voters’ registration for the May 2022 presidential elections.
On the same day, the House of Representatives approved on second reading of House Bill 10261 that sought a similar extension period for the voters’ registration.
Last September 22, the Senate also urged the COMELEC for voters’ registration extension but the latter has countered and proposed only a week extension after the filing of certificates of candidacy (COC). The said filing is scheduled on October 1 to 8 this year.
Loss of potential voters
With more than 70 collated signatures, KPL NCR spokesperson Donald Navayra noted that they will push with their demands until a favorable decision from the poll body.
He cited the five-and-a-half month or 164-day suspension of voters’ registration due to pandemic restrictions have resulted up to a 36.8% loss of registered voters in Metro Manila alone.
“Bagamat naabot natin ang target vote na 60 million ngunit dapat na ikonsidera ang halos 13 million pang mga potential o first time voters na kalakhan ay mga kabataan,” said Donald Navayra.
Why is it important to vote?
Navayra reiterated that voting is a democratic and constitutional right of the people and one of the democratic exercises that Filipinos are familiar.
Voting in the next elections, he said, is also important because people are clamoring for accountability and change from the current administration.
“Ang mungkahi naman talaga natin ay ang pamumunong tumutugon sa serbisyong panlipunan lalo na sa batayang sektor, partikular sa mga kabataan. Ngayong pandemya, nakaranas na tayo ng samu’t saring suliranin, nandyan ang sa edukasyon, kalusugan, trabaho, at karapatan,” Navayra said.
[Our suggestion is leadership that responds to social services especially among the basic sectors and particularly among the youth. During the pandemic, we experienced several problems in education, health, jobs and rights.]
STAND PLM Christel Buergo agreed, while also asserting that democracy and fulfillment of people’s rights does not end with voting in elections.
“Mahalaga ang pagboto lalo na sa panahon ngayon na napakalala ng krisis panlipunan. Sa pagboto, lalo na ng kabataan, naipapakita nila ang kanilang lakas. Sa kabilang banda, hindi rin naman sa eleksyon nagtatapos ang tunay na laban ng kabataan. Habang patuloy na lugmok sa krisis ang lipunan ay tiyak ang pagsulong ng interes ng malawak na sambayanan,” Buergo said.
[Voting is important especially during this time of severe social crisis. Through voting, especially by the youth, they can show their strength. On one hand, the youth’s fight does not end during the elections. As long as there is social crisis, people would surely continue to assert their interests.]
