Koko urges SK to lead youth voter-registration drive

Senate Electoral Reforms and People's Participation Committee Chairperson Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III on Tuesday urged the newly-elected officials of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) to lead local campaigns to encourage unregistered youth who are eligible to vote to register for the May 13, 2019 national and local elections, stressing that SK officials are in a position to encourage their constituencies to exercise their right to vote.

"SK officers are the leaders the youth look up to in their communities, and they are used to going around their respective barangays convincing young people to vote for them. If they have the capacity to mount campaigns to secure votes, they can surely conduct campaigns to get unregistered youth to register and vote," said Pimentel.

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) had earlier announced that the continuing registration of voters would be scheduled from July 2 to September 29, 2018. Unregistered Filipinos aged 18 and above by election day can register at the Offices of the Election Officer (OEOs) of the city, district, or municipality where they reside, from Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.--including holidays.

According to Pimentel, data shows that there will be over a million additional Filipino citizens who will be qualified to vote for the 2019 national and local elections.

"Approximately 1.5 million Filipinos were born between June 2000 and April 2001--these are young men and women who are qualified to register for the 2019 midterm polls but were too young to register for the May 2018 barangay elections," revealed Pimentel.

"This is a significant portion of our population, one that should be given a say in choosing their leaders."

Aside from convincing the youth to register and vote, the senator from Mindanao added that the SK should also get involved in non-partisan efforts to convince young voters to cast their votes on election day.

"I believe it is important to impress upon our youth that voting is the duty of every responsible citizen, and one of the concrete ways one can influence the direction of government," the legislator said.

"The SK should convince their constituency to vote--and vote wisely--as they are in a position to remind their fellow youth that who they vote for will determine how their city is run, what laws are passed, and where public funds will go."