By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga 

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Negros Occidental is still finalizing the list of double-registrants in the province for the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) in October.

Atty. Ian Lee Ananoria, Comelec-Negros Occidental elections supervisor, said there are three local government units in the province that have yet to provide data on voters with double registrations.

Ananoria said Negros Occidental has 2,014,726 regular voters, and 660,686 voters for the SK elections.

While the list of double registrants is still being completed, Ananoria assures that the number of cases is expected to be minimal, as there are still many flying voters in Bacolod City.

With regards to the Department of the Interior and Local Government guidelines that prohibit visitors from participating in graduation ceremonies if they intend to campaign in the elections, Ananoria stated that the BSKE is non-partisan in nature, but it is the personal decision of incumbent officials to endorse candidates.

He also mentioned that the Regional Joint Security Control Center in Western Visayas is expected to convene in August before the filing of certificates of candidacy begins./DGB, WDJ