The Supreme Court has junked the appeal of youth groups to compel the Commission on Elections to extend the deadline for registration of voters for next year’s general elections.
The high court dismissed the petition filed by groups led by Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon on Oct. 29 seeking the extension of the period of registration to Jan. 8 next year.
The Comelec ended the registration period on Oct. 31.
The Court said there was no merit in the argument of the petitioners that the poll body usurped the legislative power of Congress and violated the continuing registration system under the Automated Election Law in setting the deadline.
The tribunal upheld Comelec’s position that the continuing registration system, which provides for registration until 120 or 90 days prior to the elections, does not mandate the period for registration and only prescribes a period when registration will no longer be allowed.
The high court said extending the period “will gravely affect (Comelec’s) rigid and strict timeline.”
Comelec welcomed the court decision, saying the period of registration—from May 6, 2014 to Oct. 31, 2015—was enough for voters to register.
“The Comelec agrees with the court’s ruling,” Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said.
Earlier, the high court issued a temporary restraining order barring Comelec from implementing its “No Bio, No Boto” policy, a policy that will disenfranchise voters without digital photograph, signature and fingerprints in their registration records.
At least 2.5-million voters failed to have their biometrics validated during the 17-month registration period.
Ridon, the lead petitioner against the “No Bio, No Boto” policy, accused the poll body of blackmailing the high court when it warned that the TRO might derail next year’s elections.
“Comelec is actually blackmailing the Supreme Court into lifting the TRO—not by arguing on legal grounds —but by spreading fears of delays in the upcoming elections, up to a point of even raising fears of a ‘no election’ scenario,” Ridon said.
“All we are asking is for Comelec to abide by the Constitution. However, Comelec is using the ‘no-el’ card to cover up its refusal to abide by the Constitution,” he added.
Militant youth group Anakbayan also criticized Comelec for dangling the no election scenario to force the court to reverse its earlier order.
“Comelec chairman Andres Bautista essentially blackmailed the SC, using the ghost of no-el, into allowing it to implement an unconstitutional policy which will disenfranchise voters,” Anakbayan chairperson Vencer Crisostomo said.
“Obviously, the administration’s kulelat candidate, Mar Roxas, is set to gain from such scenario…Could the no-el scenario be an administration back-up plan in case they fail to set-up a credible win through massive fraud? If the election is postponed, the Aquino administration could have more time to maneuver to favor the administration’s candidates,” Crisostomo added.
