Deceased Palompon residents still in active voters; list

National

OVER a thousand deceased individuals remain on Palompon’s voter list while names of legitimate voters have disappeared, fueling concerns about possible fraud and casting doubt on the integrity of the town’s upcoming 2025 elections.

The discrepancies have drawn sharp criticism from residents and local candidates, including mayoral aspirant Georgina Arevalo, who on Friday, April 11, called attention to what she described as a deeply flawed registry.

“This list is inaccurate, and that’s a major concern for anyone hoping for a fair election,” Arevalo said, saying there are allegedly 1,089 dead residents who casted votes in the past elections.

“The inclusion of deceased voters creates a serious problem," she added.

Arevalo also flagged the removal of active voters, or individuals who had participated in previous elections but now find their names missing.

"It doesn’t make sense. People who have voted before are now being excluded, and it’s causing a lot of confusion and frustration,” she added.

Despite submitting official documents from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to support the removal of deceased individuals, Arevalo said the list remains largely unchanged.

Residents attempting to update the records report facing inaction or delays.

Active voters removed

Merlyn Peñano is among those affected. Having voted in past elections, she was surprised to find her name missing from the current list.

“I’ve voted before, so I don’t understand why my name isn’t on the list now,” she said. “It’s really worrying, and I don’t know where to turn for answers.”

Similarly, Rosemarie Tuico said her father, who died earlier this year, is still listed as an active voter despite her submission of an affidavit confirming his death.

“It’s frustrating. I submitted everything I was asked to, but nothing has changed,” she said.

On April 10, a group of 15 residents went to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Palompon to seek assistance, some requesting the removal of deceased relatives, others inquiring about their own delisting.

No response from officials

However, their efforts were met with limited response. Election officer Elvisa Tiu was reportedly in a meeting in Tacloban City and unavailable, while the local registrar was also not in her office.

Arevalo expressed disappointment at the lack of engagement.

Arevalo expressed frustration over what she described as prolonged inaction from election authorities, saying it was difficult to remain hopeful when the officials responsible for resolving the issues were frequently unavailable.

She emphasized that the local Comelec office’s lack of response was worsening the situation.

She also raised concerns about potential electoral manipulation, citing reports of individuals allegedly signing the voter list multiple times, which is an indication, she said, of deeper flaws that could compromise the credibility of the election.

Lawyer Robie Quiño, confirmed that several affidavits had been submitted to formally document the irregularities.

Quiño, running a councilor under Arevalo's slate, said that their team was pursuing all necessary legal avenues to ensure the voter list’s accuracy and working closely with relevant authorities to investigate the matter.

An Election Registration Board (ERB) hearing is scheduled for April 14, which Arevalo hopes will lead to concrete action.

She has also appealed to Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia to intervene and ensure that voter list issues in Palompon are addressed ahead of the polls.(MyTVCebu)