Comelec eyeing return of voter’s ID cards

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections is exploring the possibility of bringing back voter’s identification cards, with initial issuance planned for overseas Filipinos this year.

Comelec chairperson George Garcia on Wednesday announced that discussions are underway regarding the reissuance of voter IDs, citing the slow distribution of national IDs as a key reason.

"In the case of our national ID, many are still unable to get them. Hopefully, before the end of the year, we can bring it back. The commission is already discussing its specifics and the required funding for it," Garcia said.

This move comes after the indefinite suspension of voter ID issuances in December 2017 due to the rollout of the national ID, which aimed to provide the country with a single national identification system. 

However, delays in the printing and distribution of national IDs have prompted the Comelec to reconsider its stance.

“Hopefully, we can give an initial batch to our overseas Filipinos. We hope to have the best features, have 32 security features, and the least costly one," Garcia said.

Registered voters are still allowed to vote without a voter’s ID.