The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology on Sunday urged persons deprived of liberty to register during the resumption of voters registration today, in preparation for the December 2023 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections,

"Voting is a human right that the BJMP takes seriously. This is to ensure that no one is spared from our countrymen especially those in prison. With the re-opening of voter's registration tomorrow (12 December), let's invite all those who are qualified to register)," BJMP chief Jail Director Allan Iral said.

During the May 2022 national elections, the BJMP recorded a turnout of 29, 286 or 88.67 percent of the 33,027 registered PDL voters.

Cebu City Jail — Male Dormitory topped the list of BJMP jail facilities with the highest number of PDL registered voters with 1,102 registrants; followed by Talisay City Jail — Male Dormitory with 878 PDL voters; and Lapu-Lapu City Jail — Male Dormitory with 701 PDL voters.

Of the 477 BJMP jail facilities, 180 have more than 50 PDL registered voters.

The Supreme Court promulgated Commission on Elections Resolution No. 9371 on 22 March allowing PDLs to register and vote in both national and local elections.

Under the guidelines set by the Comelec, PDL who are qualified to register are those: who are at least 18 years of age on election day and/or committed inside the jail facility or detention center for at least six months immediately preceding the election day; confined in jail facility or detention center, formally charged of any crime and awaiting or undergoing trial; serving a sentence of imprisonment for less than one year; or whose conviction is on appeal.

Meanwhile, PDLs are disqualified to register if they have been sentenced by final judgment to suffer imprisonment of not less than one year; and those who have been adjudged by final judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction or tribunal of having committed any crime involving disloyalty to the duly constituted government, such as rebellion, insurrection, violation of the firearms laws or any crime against national security.

Resolution No. 10711 states that the Comelec will allot one day of special satellite registration in jails with 1 to 249 qualified PDL registrants; two days in jails with 250 to 499 registrants; three days for jails with 500 to 749 registrants; four days for jails with 750 to 999 registrants; and five days for jails with more than 1,000 qualified registrants.

For a city with two or more districts and the jail facility or detention center located in one of the districts, all Election Officers in the said city may conduct SSR therein for qualified PDL registrants who are residents in their jurisdictions.

Comelec schedule
Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said the registration period will run from 12 December 2022 to 31 January 2023.

Laudiangco said qualified voters may visit the Comelec office in their cities and towns from Monday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

He said three malls outside the National Capital Region are tapped as pilot test areas of the Register Anywhere Project aside from the five malls located in Metro Manila that can accommodate qualified applicants residing anywhere in the Philippines.

Voters registration at malls will be on Saturdays and Sundays, from 17 December and 22 January 2023, except 24, 25, and 31 December and 1 January 2023.

"The RAP Pilot Test will be conducted at the following sites: SM Mall of Asia (Pasay City), SM Fairview (Quezon City), SM Southmall (Las Piñas City), Robinson's Place Manila and Robinson's Galleria (Quezon City)," he said in a statement on Friday.

Additional RAP sites are Robinson's Mall Tacloban, Barangay Baras Baras, Tacloban City; SM City Legazpi and Robinson's Mall Naga.