Comelec scraps barangay certificates for voter registration

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will no longer require barangay certificates for voter registration.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia announced that the poll body is revising its voter registration guidelines to remove barangay certifications as an option for proving identity.

This decision aims to prevent the "weaponization" of these certificates by corrupt village officials to manipulate voter registration and prevent "hakot" practices.

Garcia noted that in some instances, there were as many as 9,000 to 30,000 voters who appeared to have transferred from one barangay to another through the manipulation of unscrupulous barangay officials.

The exclusion of barangay certificates as a requirement will be implemented during the July 1 to 11 voter registration for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) and for the planned voter registration next year for the 2028 presidential elections.