Yt Framework

Some 158 inmates registered yesterday morning at the Zamboanga City Jail (ZCJ) for the May 2013 midterm elections.

SJO4 Johnny Alburo, ZCJ Officer of the day, said their office is targeting to register 158 inmates so they can vote in the coming polls.

Similar registration of inmates was conducted last June 18, where 200 inmates had been officially registered.

But it was not completed that is why the Comelec will came back to continue the registration of inmates, according to the Alburo.

The project on the inmate’s voter’s registration is in partnership with the Commission on Election (Comelec) in District I. 

During the registration, one team from the Comelec District 1 came to facilitate the registration of the inmates.

The inmate voter’s registration was made possible through a Comelec Resolution 9371 which states the rules and regulation on detainee registration and voting.

During the inmates registration, the inmates passed the same procedure as an ordinary registrant. They fall in line, filled up their registration forms, and their biometrics were also taken.

The inmates during the registration used the address of the Zamboanga City Jail, Zone 1 which falls under District 1.

Inmate must not be convicted by final judgment, if they are convicted provided that the case is on appeal, and if they are convicted, the conviction is one year and below for them to qualify as a registered voter.

After the said inmate’s registration, the ZCJ will now have a voting population of more or less 500.

According to Alburo, this coming May election for sure that the Comelec will place a special precinct inside the ZCJ for the inmates to cast their votes.
He said: “Grande se ayuda kanamun. Si alia pa apwera bota el risk ali security.” Referring to the voters registration.”

The registration was done on a Monday because no visitors are allowed every Monday so the office can really look after the registration and the security of the visitors.

The inmates of the ZCJ were allowed to cast their vote for the first time during the May 2010 National election where 300 detainees casted their votes.

During the 2010 election, the ZCJ had its own precinct together with the Comelec Board of Election Inspectors (BEI’s).

A 12-man team coming from the Commission on Election (Comelec) manned the election inside the premises of the City Jail. The 12 are composed of one chairman, one poll clerk, one third member and nine support staff. 

These support staff were in charge to get and deliver the ballots of these inmates who will vote. There were no Precinct Count Optical Scan machine inside the precinct of the City Jail because after these inmates cast their votes their ballots will be given back to the BEI’s and the support staff went to the respective precincts of these inmates and feed the ballots to the ballot’s respective PCOS machines. 

The District 1 of the Comelec has 37 barangays and some 188,236 registered voters to include these registered inmates while District 2 covers 61 Barangays with some 174,587 registered voters.

By: R.G. Antonet Go