MANILA — The Commission on Elections reiterated its call to Congress to pass a law prohibiting the use of barangay certificates in applying to become voters following the rejection of a number of applications to transfer voting records due to lack of residency. 

The poll body’s election registration board (ERB) recently rejected a number of applications to become voters in Makati, mostly from the "EMBO" barangays.

Comelec chairman George Garcia said the en banc will study the recommendation of the task force formed to investigate the surge of voters and prosecute barangay officials responsible for the issue.

“Ang recommendation ng panel is to prosecute ang mga responsible sa pag issue, en masse, ng walang pakundangan, ng mga barangay certifications, mga barangay officials yun. Sa kasalukuyan ito ay nasa en banc, pinag-uusapan, at umasa kayo na the en banc will immediately come up with a resolution patuloy sa bagay na yan. Ito ba ay tatanggapin namin ang recommendation o irereject namin yung kanilang recommendation,” Garcia said.

He added, “Isa po sa recommendation po ng panel ay gawan namin ng paraan, pakiusapan ang Kongreso na maipasa ang isang batas na kung saan ipagbabawal ang barangay certification bilang ebidensya ng residency doon sa lugar na yan.”

The poll body, Garcia added, is considering implementing an automated biometric identification system that will use facial and iris recognition and 10 fingerprints as a way to identify voters and operate the voting machine. This, he said, will avoid flying voters.

“Kapag nagawa natin yun sa susunod na election, pwede na natin isama sa machine ang mismong voter identification,” Garcia said.