With voter registration for the May 2019 national and local elections resuming last Monday, July 2, a party-list solon representing indigenous peoples urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to step up its efforts to ensure that more IP members are registered.
“There are only an estimated 100,000 registered IP voters nationwide.”
“I hope that the Comelec will intensify its efforts so that more IP members get to register in time for the mid-term elections next year,” said ANAC-IP Rep. Jose Panganiban, Jr., who stressed that the Comelec needs to dramatically increase the number of registered IP members given that there are only an estimated 100,000 registered IP voters nationwide, per the poll body.
Panganiban, a member of the Gaddang indigenous group, lauded the Comelec for its initiatives to make the elections more accessible to marginalized sectors, but emphasized that more needed to be done to reach out to IPs.
“The COMELEC has announced that it will conduct offsite satellite registrations in places like public plazas, schools and other public places.”
The COMELEC has announced that it will conduct offsite satellite registrations in places like public plazas, schools and other public places. In these offsite registrations, the Comelec said that preference would be given to members of the vulnerable sectors such as IPs and senior citizens.
“In these offsite registrations, the Comelec said that preference would be given to members of the vulnerable sectors such as IPs and senior citizens.”
According to Panganiban, “the IP population ranges from 14 to 17 million Filipinos, which comprise around 18 percent of the country’s population.”
“If only 100,000 IP members are registered voters, this means that a large percentage of IPs have yet to let their voices be heard through the elections; clearly, the Comelec can and must do more,” said the legislator.
At the same time, Panganiban also enjoined his fellow IPs to register during the registration period, which ends on September 29, 2018.
“I urge all IPs of voting age to register. Voting is one of our most important rights. By voting, we take an active part in the future of our families and communities and help dictate how our nation should be run.”