Jail time awaits voter applicants trying ‘multiple’ registration

FILE: Residents fall in line on the sidewalk of Misamis Street in Quezon City to submit their voter registration application forms to the local Commission on Elections (Comelec) office. (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday warned qualified voters not to intentionally register more than once or face up to six years of imprisonment.

“We have AFIS, that’s the Automated Fingerprint Identification System that we countercheck if a voter has been registered before or is it a multiple registrant… we will delete the registration, at the same time can face an election offense case. One to six years imprisonment for violators,” poll body chief George Erwin Garcia said in a statement.

The warning was issued as unscrupulous registrants may try to exploit the voter registration which is being currently held nationwide.

Aside from the Comelec field offices, several sites have been set up in malls and government offices for the listing which started last Dec.12, 2022 and will run until Jan. 31.

On the other hand, Garcia confirmed in an interview that they will soon start filing cases against those who were already caught having registered more than once.

He said the Commission en banc is currently finalizing the process on which this action would be undertaken.

At the same time, he invited all qualified Filipinos to register and exercise their right to vote in the next elections.

“I hope you go to our registration sites in all Comelec offices. In the malls, we also have satellite registration, and at our Registration Anywhere Project sites, where you can also register,” the Comelec head said.