Many of those who beat last Sunday’s deadline followed long lines of applicants to get forms and proceed to Data Capturing Machine (DCM) for demographic (text data) and biometrics (digital photograph, signature and fingerprint) data capturing.

The hearing will be held pursuant to Comelec en banc Resolution No. 7795 signed by Chairman Benjamin S. Abalos Sr. and Commissioners Resurreccion Z. Borra, Florentino A. Tuason Jr., Romeo A. Brawner, Rene V. Sarmiento and Nicodemo T. Ferrer.

Copies of the resolution were disseminated to all Comelec regional directors, assistant regional directors, provincial supervisors and election officers and their assistants by Executive Director Pio Jose S. Joson and Director Divina S. Blas-Perez of Election and Barangay Affairs Department (EBAD).

Comelec Law Department Director Alioden D. Dalaig said the hearing will provide opportunities for those who question the qualifications of certain registrants and those who are challenged to defend themselves.

Comelec Assistant Regional Director and Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Michael Dioneda of the National Capital Region (NCR) and Regional Director Juanito O. Icaro of Region IV, Southern Tagalog, said the hearing will be conducted by the ERBs in all EOs offices in the country’s 114 cities and 1,496 town.

The three-member ERB is headed by a city or municipal election officer. In big cities like Manila, which has six legislative districts and Quezon City with four legislative districts, the ERB is headed by the district election officer.

Election Officer Rosalinda A. Albia-Radin, editor-in-chief of "On Elections," official newsletter of the Comelec in the NCR, said the complainants and those whose right to be registered under RA 8189 and vote in the coming elections are required to be sent notices of the hearing.

Those whose registration are under challenged could appear at the hearing alone or with their lawyers. The complainants could also be represented by lawyers.

Radin, who is also Manila’s 2nd District EOs, said that in her area alone, about 60 registrants are the subjects of complaints that they do not reside in the addresses stated in their applications for registrations.

Lack of residency is among the most common complaints against registrants. Others are double or multiple registrations, she added.

"The hearing becomes stormy when the complainants and those compained of are represented by lawyers sent by retained by politicians. But EOs keep the situation under control," she said. (E. T. Suarez)