Comelec unfazed by Cordillera’s low voter signup turnout

MANILA: There is no cause for concern over the small number of voter registrants in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) for next year's midterm elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Wednesday. Comelec's latest data showed there are only 57,709 registrants in the region from February 12 to July 9. "We don't really expect the number of voter registrants to be high in CAR. The population in the Cordillera is not high," Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said in a phone interview. He said many residents from the region are based in nearby areas. "Unlike in other areas, it is difficult to come home to CAR during the elections. Those who are based in other regions, they opt to get registered and cast their votes there," he said. Meanwhile, Comelec data showed there are 4,358,430 applicants for voter registration since its resumption on Feb. 12. Of the number, Calabarzon, National Capital Region and Central Luzon have remain the top three areas with high number of registrants. Regi on 4-A (Calabarzon) with 742,925; Metro Manila with 603,496 and Region 3 (Central Luzon) with 510,503. Voter registration activities are held Mondays to Saturdays, including holidays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in all Offices of the Election Officer (OEO) nationwide, until Sept. 30. Source: Philippines News Agency