Estrada registers as new Manila voter

MANILA, Philippines – Former President Joseph Estrada on Thursday, May 10, filed his registration as a voter in the city of Manila to pursue a mayoral bid in the country’s capital.

Estrada filed with the Commission on Elections-Manila branch a transfer of his voter’s registration to the city of Manila, where he plans to run as mayor in the May 13, 2013 elections. Estrada was a longtime resident and mayor of San Juan City.

Estrada was accompanied to the Comelec office by current Manila City Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, whom Estrada was eyeing to be his running mate in next year’s polls. Moreno has just taken his oath as a member of United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), a coalition of Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) and Vice President Jejomar Binay’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

Estrada went through the normal process of registration. He first went to the office of attending election officer Maria Liza Carpina-Torres, where he filled up application forms and took an oath. After this, he had his biometrics — photograph, fingerprints, and signature — captured digitally.

The Local Government Code requires an elective local official to be “a registered voter in the municipality, city, or province [and] a resident therein for at least one year immediately preceding the day of the election.”

On Wednesday, May 9, Estrada and his family also transferred residence to 589 Mangga Avenue in Altura, Sta. Mesa, Manila, from their original family home at 1 Polk Street in North Greenhills, San Juan City.

But questions surround Estrada’s registration.

For one, it’s not yet final. The Comelec Election Registration Board (ERB) will hold a hearing in July for all registrations filed from April to June. Prior to the hearing, the ERB will accept motions from those who would like to oppose new voter registrations.

Residency issues

Election officer Maria Liza Carpina-Torres told Rappler that aside from Estrada’s registration with Comelec, he also has to submit a testimony from his new neighbors to prove that he really resides in Manila. This testimony should be submitted to the office before the ERB hearing.

Despite this testimony, Comelec rules indicate that Estrada may not be eligible for registration if his May 9 transfer of residence is to be made the basis for it.

Based on the requirements set by Comelec, a person should have at least resided in the place where he proposes to vote for at least 6 months before he registers as a new voter.

Estrada’s lawyer, George Erwin Garcia, told Rappler that this won’t be a problem for the former president. “We have enough evidence to prove that Mr Estrada has already stayed in Manila for more than 6 months,” he said. He did not elaborate. – Rappler.com