Students from the Far Eastern University and the National University reiterated their call on the Commission on Elections to extend voter registration beyond September 30.

The FEU Central Student Organization argued that almost eight months of voter registration have been lost because of the strict quarantine protocols.

“Nananawagan ang mga organisasyon sa Comelec na payagan ang pag-extend ng pagpaparehistro ng mga botante ng isa pang buwan. Malaking numero sa eleksiyon ang 13 milyong maaari pang madagdag sa pag-extend ng pagpaparehistro,” it said in a statement.

The student body urged the public to evaluate and select candidates who will prioritize the welfare of the people.

“Hinihikayat ng mga organisasyon ang sambayanang Pilipino, lalong-lalo na ang mga kabataan, na kilalaning mabuti ang mga kandidato sa nalalapit na halalan,” it said.

“Ang masalimuot na pandemyang ito ay isa sa dapat maging dahilan upang tayo ay mamulat sa kung anong klase ng mga lider ang nararapat na mamuno sa ating bansa, mga lider na kayang ibsan ang bakas na iiwan ng pandemya sa ating ekonomiya at pamumuhay,” it added.

Meanwhile, the NU Student Government stressed that reopening registrations in areas under modified enhanced community quarantine will not compensate for the number of days sacrificed for voters’ application.

“Upon the broader sense, we assume there seem to be a substantial percentage of unregistered voters, not only because individuals wouldn’t want to get registered and vote, but rather because the alternatives they have are therefore restricted,” NU-SG said.

It appealed for a month-long extension to boost the number of potential voters in next year’s election.