BACOLOD City – A total of 42 voter registration applications in Barangay 9 are facing opposition after a formal complaint was filed before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Bacolod City.
City Election Officer Atty. Kathrina Trinio-Caña identified the oppositor as Marites Ramos, a resident of Barangay 9, who questioned the applications on the grounds that the applicants allegedly do not reside in the barangay.
According to Trinio-Caña, the opposition was filed on May 25, 2026, the deadline for lodging objections against voter registration applications.
She clarified that the matter will be deliberated upon by the Election Registration Board (ERB) on June 1 as part of the standard verification process for voter registration.
“The opposition will be discussed and decided by the ERB, not by the commission alone,” Trinio-Caña said.
She explained that similar cases had previously been resolved by the ERB, with some oppositions granted after applicants failed to establish residency in the area where they sought registration. In other cases, oppositions were dismissed after applicants successfully proved their residency.
The ERB hearings, scheduled until June 5, form part of Comelec’s preparatory activities for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) set on November 2, 2026.
Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections–Negros Island Region (Comelec-NIR) reported processing a total of 241,422 voter registration applications across the region from October 20, 2025, to May 18, 2026.
Based on Comelec-NIR data, Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, accounted for the largest share with 164,375 applications. Negros Oriental recorded 72,081 applications, while Siquijor registered 4,966.
Comelec emphasized the importance of voter registration, reminding the public that participation in elections is both a right and a responsibility of every qualified Filipino citizen.
“It gives citizens the opportunity to participate in elections and contribute to meaningful change and good governance,” the agency said./PN
