The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has called on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to issue guidelines allowing private and public employees to register as voters even on weekdays and that their temporary absence from their work be considered as official time. This is in action to the fast approaching deadline for registration of voters on October 31.
Through Resolution No. 8669 promulgated on September 15, 2009, the COMELEC en banc noted that the DOLE is “bestowed with powers and functions for the full protection to labor, promotion of their welfare, and supervision over the relationship between employers and employees.”
Thus, the COMELEC deemed it necessary to “request the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to issue the appropriate circular/guidelines urging private employers to allow their employees to file their applications for registration, transfer/reactivation, changes/correction/inclusions/reinstatement of entries of registration records even during weekdays, and to consider their temporary absence from work on official time.”
The poll body also made a similar request to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to issue the appropriate order for civil servants. (PIA)