Cagayan de Oro City — The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in northern Mindanao began its fact-finding investigation on Friday into the alleged irregular mass transfer of voter registrations from District 2 in Cagayan de Oro City and various parts of Misamis Oriental to Barangay Carmen, the city’s most populous barangay.

Luz Maria Cuevas-Banzon, Comelec assistant regional director, said in a statement that among those invited to Friday’s fact-finding probe were First District Congressman Lordan Suan and barangay captains to shed light on the process of voter registration transfers, particularly the issuance of barangay certifications of residency.

However, she clarified that the probe aims only to gather facts and make recommendations for implementation in the next year’s voter registration.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia has already formed a task force to investigate the mass transfer of voters, saying the poll body has learned that as much as 40 percent of the total number of registered voters were irregular in some areas.

He noted that the irregularity often occurs due to the lax issuance of barangay certificates in certain areas and warned that, with the barangay certification issuance, the poll body may be compelled to no longer accept barangay residence certificates as valid voter identification.

Suan delivered a privilege speech on Monday calling for a congressional probe into the suspicious transfer of voters in the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Batangas and the cities of Makati and Cagayan de Oro City.

In his speech, Suan noted that a 5 percent increase in voters is normal due to increased economic activities and the influx of young voters reaching voting age. However, he said a 40 percent increase is irregular, particularly in areas without increased economic activities to justify the influx of new residents.

“There is even a report of a 50 percent increase, primarily due to promises of money and employment,” he said.

He added that the increase in voters in certain barangays is contrary to the economic condition of the area.

“This illegal activity must be stopped,” he said.

Suan said the congressional probe will uncover and expose individuals responsible for the activities and identify flaws in the country’s election laws.