10 People in Rizal Denied the Right to Vote Because the Local COMELEC Lacks Internet Access

Ten people in Rizal have been denied the right to vote because the local COMELEC does not have internet access.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/01/comelec-cites-lack-of-internet-as-one-reason-for-failure-to-reactivate-10-rizal-voters/

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Sunday, May 1, confirmed that the 10 individuals from Rizal who applied for reactivation for the upcoming polls will not be able to vote due to local Comelec’s “lack of internet connection” among other reasons.

The aforementioned applications, according to documents, were “timely filed.”

Under Comelec’s Memorandum 220606, the other reasons for the failure to reactivate the said applications were the “failure of the applicant to submit all the documentary requirements; and failure of the applicant to appear on the scheduled online verification, either through a video call in Facebook messenger or Viber application.”

With this, the poll body ordered election officers of the Province of Rizal to inform all the said applicants to apply for reactivation when the registration of voters starts anew after Election Day, May 9.

“(There is only 10 of them. Their reactivation process was not competed),” poll Commissioner George Erwin M. Garcia told reporters.

Garcia noted that, under Comelec Resolution No. 10715, the Offices of the Elections Officer (OEOs) must have internet connection.

The poll commissioner said most OEOs are not working under ideal situation.

“Kaya po may (That’s why there is a) pending bill strengthening the field offices,” he said.

“(Usually when the office looks bad, it has no internet connection. Although Comelec provides, some of them get their internet connection cut off for whatever reason or sometimes there’s just no internet in the are),” Garcia added.

Ten men in Rizal appealed to the COMELC to be reactivated for the upcoming polls. Their applications were filed timely but denied because they did not have all the documents. But even if they had submitted all the correct documents they would not have been able to complete a video call through Facebook or Viber because the local COMELEC office does not have internet connection.

How ridiculous is that? Here is what COMELEC Resolution 10715 has to say: 

https://comelec.gov.ph/php-tpls-attachments/VoterRegistration/Resolutions/com_res_10715.pdf

SEC. 7. Videoconferencing Platform. - OEOs capable of conducting online verification of the identity of the applicants as referred to in Section 2 hereof shall utilize a suitable, accessible and commonly used videoconferencing platform such as Zoom, MS Teams, Viber, Messenger, and others with similar video functionalities.  

OEOs shall be provided with additional funds for the said logistical requirements which shall be included in their respective regularly released registration/mobilization allowance during the conduct of the system of continuing registration of voters. 

This resolution is dated August 11, 2021 and one might make the excuse that that's not enough time to allot funds to fully implement the requirements but every COMELEC should already be connected to the internet. There is no reason for them not to be connected. The internet is a very important tool all COMELEC offices need. 

"Although Comelec provides, some of them get their internet connection cut off for whatever reason"

How does that happen? Are they not paying their bills? Funny how they brush it off because "there is only 10 of them." Those ten have the same rights as everyone else. But thanks to the lack of internet access at the local COMELEC office their right to vote has been denied.