Gov't and Private Employees May Register As Voters During Working Hours

The Commission on Elections through its website has announced that it has asked the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to issue guidelines allowing private and public employees to register as voters even on weekdays and that their temporary absence from their work be considered as official time.

The COMELEC en banc, through Resolution No. 8669, promulgated September 15, 2009, noted that the DOLE is “bestowed with powers and functions for the full protection to labor, promotion of their welfare, and supervision over the relationship between employers and employees.”

Thus the COMELEC deemed it necessary to “request the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to issue the appropriate circular/guidelines urging private employers to allow their employees to file their applications for registration, transfer/reactivation, changes/correction/inclusions/reinstatement of entries of registration records even during weekdays, and to consider their temporary absence from work on official time.”

Meanwhile, the COMELEC in Resolution 8668, said that “government employees who as first time voters, or who desire to transfer/reactivate/correct/change/reinstate their registration records, deserve broader opportunities to exercise their right to suffrage through the filing of their applications for registration/transfer/reactivation/correction/change/reinstatement of registration records during weekdays.”

The poll body also made a similar request to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to issue the appropriate order for civil servants.

COMELEC spokesman James Jimenez, for his part, said this move from the poll body “shows the COMELEC’s resolve to empower broadest number of workers, both in the private and in the public sector, by making sure that they will be able to cast their votes in the 2010 elections.” 

COMELEC Resolution No. 8668

Republic of the Philippines

COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS

Manila

Resolution No. 8668

(September 15, 2009)

IN THE MATTER OF REQUESTING THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION (CSC) TO ISSUE AN ORDER /CIRCULAR ALLOWING GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES TO GO ON OFFICIAL TIME WHEN FILING APPLICATIONS FOR VOTER'S REGISTRATION

WHEREAS, Sec. 2(1), Art. IX-C of the 1987 Constitution empowers the Commission on Elections to "enforce and administer all laws and regulations relative to the conduct of an election, plebiscite, initiative, referendum, and recall";

WHEREAS, pursuant to R.A. 8189, otherwise known as the Continuing Voter's Registration Act of 1996, Comelec Resolution No. 8514 promulgated on November 12, 2008, as amended by Resolution No. 8585 promulgated on February 12, 2009, fixed the dates for the filing of applications for registration, transfer of registration records, reactivation, changes/ correction/ inclusions/ reinstatement of entries in the registration records from December 2, 2008 up to October 31;

WHEREAS, the Civil Service Commission, as the central personnel and administrative agency of the government is mandated under the constitution, to adopt measures to promote morale, efficiency, integrity, responsiveness, progressiveness, and courtesy in the civil service;

WHEREAS, government employees who as first time voters, or who desire to transfer/reactivate/correct/change/reinstate their registration records, deserve broader opportunities to exercise their 'right of suffrage through the filing, of their applications for registration/ transfer/reactivation/correction/ change/ reinstatement of registration records during working days;

WHEREAS, it is imperative to request the Civil Service Commission to issue guidelines/implementing rules allowing government employees to file applications for of their voter's registration records, at the Office of the Election Officer, even during weekdays, and that their temporary absence from their work stations be considered on official time;

NOW THEREFORE, the Commission RESOLVED, as it hereby RESOLVES, to request the Civil Service Commission to issue the appropriate order/circular/guidelines that would consider on official time the filing by government employees of their applications for registration, transfer of registration records, reactivation and changes/correction/inclusions/reinstatement of entries in their registration records, during working hours.

Let the Executive Director implement this Resolution.

SO ORDERED.

JOSE A. R. MELO Chairman
RENE V. SARMIENTO Commissioner	NICODEMO T. FERRER Commissioner
LUCENITO N. TAGLE Commissioner	ARMANDO C. VELASCO Commissioner
ELIAS T. YUSOPH Commissioner