The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Saturday announced the extension of the deadline for the filing of applications for transfer of registration records from overseas to the Philippines until September 30.
"The deadline for filing of application for transfer of registration record from overseas to the Philippines with the Office of the Election Officer (OEO) has been moved to September 30, 2021, to coincide with the local voter registration deadline," the poll body said ina. statement.
The initial deadline for the transfer of records was on August 31.
“The Commission en Banc recognizes the need to prevent the disenfranchisement of a great number of our kababayans who have been unexpectedly repatriated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hence the decision to extend the deadline,” said Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez.
“If they will be in the Philippines on election day, then they can still exercise their right of suffrage by casting their ballot here,” he added.
According to the Comelec, the following types of application will still be accepted by the OEOs:
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Transfer from post to the same city, municipality, or district
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Transfer from post to a city, municipality, or district other than their voter’s residence
The Comelec Office for Overseas Voting (OFOV) in Intramuros, Manila, and the local field registration centers, meanwhile, will no longer accept the above-mentioned types of application, but will still accept the following types of application:
- Registration or certification
- Recapture of biometrics
- Transfer from post to post, or from country to country
- Reinstatement
- Change of name due to marriage or court order/correction of entries
- Reactivation
- Change of address (within the same post and country)
- Updating of photograph and/or signature
- Request to withdraw the application for registration/certification pending approval.
Applicants for transfer of records from overseas to the Philippines must be a resident of the locality where he or she will vote in the 2022 national elections, and must personally file the application with the OEO of his or her locality, the poll body stated.
Comelec said the deadline for all other types of applications for local and overseas voters is on September 30.
