Bicol's new voters: 50,000 more

LEGAZPI CITY --- Over 50,000 new voters were expected to troop to various designated voters registration center to beat the Commission on Election voters registration deadline last Monday, September 30, a ranking Comelec official said.

Maria Juana Valesa, Comelec regional director, in an interview said the latest count indicates that close to 250,000 new registered voters added up to the 3.8 million registered voters in 2019, compared to the 3.6 million voters enlisted in 2016.

Meanwhile, in Naga City, Comelec Registrar Maico Julia, Jr. was quoted by local media reporters as saying that about 6,000 new voters were registered in the city as of the imposed deadline last Monday.

Valesa said the newly registered voters would make Bicol 5th among the vote-rich regions in the country that include Calabarzon, NCR, Central Luzon, and Central Visayas.

She said the latest count of 187,181 new voters registered as of Sept. 29 represents 78 percent of the target of additional 50,000 new voters before the deadline knocked last Monday.

Quoting reports from provinces, Valesa said new voters came in droves in Masbate and other areas where public covered courts were used as Comelec registration centers.

Voters registration trending shows that Camarines Sur has the most number of registered voters followed by Albay, Masbate, Sorsogon, Camarines Norte, and Catanduanes in that order.

Along with the new registration, Comelec had also deactivated some 300,000 voters. They represent 10 percent of the total registered voters that failed to vote in two succeeding elections.

Valesa said there were no untoward incidents reported during the registration period.