Truck with 'flying registrants' for ARMM intercepted

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InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5

MANILA, Philippines - Commission on Elections officials intercepted two trucks loaded with 'flying registrants' in a checkpoint in Barangay Laguilayan, Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, Radyo Singko reported Wednesday.

Flying registrants are people paid in order to register as voters in different places—a practice to pave the way for their voting in several precincts come election day.

Among those riding the truck was Basko Salis, who admitted that a certain "Elmer" gave each of them P200 and instructed them to register in Shariff Aguak.

COMELEC admitted that the problem of flying registrants cannot be easily stopped. The poll body has so far intercepted 1,000 flying registrants who tried to list themselves as voters since it began the re-registration of voters in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Due to this, the COMELEC in partnership with police authorities and the military said they are doubling their security as the registration in the region ends 5:00 PM, Wednesday.

Meanwhile, COMELEC Chairman Sixto Brillantes turned down the request of some sectors to extend the election registration.

He said individuals who failed to register will not be able to vote for the next elections.

COMELEC launched the 10-day general voter's registration in order to cleanse the list of voters in ARMM and pave the way for clean and orderly elections in 2013.

The poll body has so far listed 300,000 registrants in Maguindanao and as of Monday, 940,000 individuals have registered as voters in the ARMM.

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