According to Thomas Jefferson, when a man assumes a public trust, he should consider

himself a public property.

While it is provided under Section 4 of RA 6713, or the Code of Conduct of Ethical

Standards for Public Officials and Employees, “Every public official and employee shall
observe the following as standards of personal conduct in the discharge and execution
of official duties: Public officials and employees shall always uphold the public interest
over and above personal interest. All government resources and powers of their
respective offices must be employed and used efficiently, effectively, honestly and
economically, particularly to avoid wastage in public funds and revenues.” Can we
call the rejection of the plea for the extension of voter’s registration as efficient,
effective, honest, and economical? Considering that under Section 8 of RA 8189 or the
"The Voter’s Registration Act of 1996", no registration shall, however, be conducted
during the period starting one hundred twenty (120) days before a regular election and
ninety (90) days before a special election, does it provide that COMELEC can extend the
registration period as long as it does not go beyond 120 days for the regular elections
and 90 days for the special elections? Did it really avoid the wastage of public funds
and revenues by rejecting the plea for an extension of registration?

Seven senators filed a resolution urging the poll body to extend the deadline for voter
registration to Oct. 30 to "prevent voter disenfranchisement brought about by the
COVID-19 pandemic." Registration is on hold for areas under enhanced community
quarantine and modified ECQ.

On 18 August 2021, the Commission on Elections rejected calls to extend the voter
registration beyond September 30 but said it will make other modifications to
accommodate those who want to cast their vote in the 2022 elections.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the poll body en banc voted to reject
appeals to extend the registration period because the extension may result in more
delays in the preparations for the upcoming national elections on May 9. However, the
commissioners unanimously agreed to extend voting hours and open the registration
even on Saturdays and holidays. According to Comelec Commissioner Guanzon, the
decision not to extend the voters registration beyond September 30 was because of the
pre-election work that has to be done including the assigning of voters' names to
precincts by December and the printing of the official ballots by January 2022.

According to Pangilinan, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) should reconsider their

decision to reject calls to extend the voter registration period beyond September 30,
2021. Taking into account all the lost days because of the community quarantines,
Pangilinan reiterates that September 30 was a "pre-pandemic" deadline and appeals for
Comelec to adapt and adjust to the pandemic situation to avoid the disenfranchisement
of millions of Filipino voters.
"We regret that the Commission on Elections did not heed the clamor to extend our
voter registration period despite the glaring numbers of lost registration days due to the
pandemic. We strongly feel that the pre-pandemic deadline is no longer applicable
today," said Pangilinan. "4 out of 10 registration days were lost during the five-and-a-
half-month voter registration suspension in 2020. We should make up for this lost time
by extending the voter registration period. May estimated pa na 13.3 million sa ating
mga kababayan ang hindi pa rehistrado. Kung hindi ma-eextend ang deadline baka sila
ay magahol sa oras at hindi na talaga makapagrehistro at hindi magamit ang kanilang
karapatang makaboto sa 2022."

Based on the foregoing, is an extension of registration necessary, considering we lost a

glaring number of registration days due to community lockdowns?

No. While it is true that the voice of a few does not represent the entirety, there is no
denying that the elections will still continue even without the estimated 13.3 million
unregistered Filipinos. It is also possible to employ certain measures to extend
accommodation for the registration of voters. For instance, extend the deadline of the
registration, then just extend the working hours to be able to beat the deadline for
overwhelming pre-election work. While an extension may provide ample time to those
who won’t be able to make it due to the lockdowns implemented, most especially to
those who are sick or CoVid-positive unregistered Filipinos who wants to exercise their
right to vote, section 4 of RA 6713 tells us that all government resources and powers of
their respective offices must be employed and used efficiently, effectively, honestly and
economically, particularly to avoid wastage in public funds and revenues.
Wastage of public funds and revenues is a possible outcome in the event some people
opt to not register.

Public interest over and above personal interest. In this regard, the public interest is still
considered even if the plea for an extension was rejected. Due to the crisis brought
about by the pandemic, the resources should be reserved for something even more
important. Rejection of the plea for an extension may also limit social interaction to
prevent further spread of the virus. For instance, an extension will call for additional
funds which can risk wastage if no other opts to register. In the event they do register,
the extension of registration and the working hours will also use funds for additional
manpower and supplies. Public fiscal management dictates that public funds and
revenues must be used efficiently and economically.

The COMELEC employed online application for a registration. However, they could also
benefit from using a virtual communication and electronic transactions for the
registration of those who are not able to make it physically into their offices. This, in
turn, prevents unnecessary expenses.
When a man assumes a public trust, he should consider himself a public property. But
being a public property also means taking care of the welfare of those you serve, even
if this means rejecting their pleas for the best interest of the public.