'Hakutan' occurs even at SK level

At the Comelec's QC headquarters, registrants were packed in groups, talking amongst each other. Some others were seated on chairs. Tents were also set up along the sidewalks with food for the registrants. Some barangay officials were found comfortably talking among each other and, at times, assisting the registration of their resident voters. An SK candidate in Barangay Pansol admitted that she brought 100 residents with her to register. "Naghati-hatian kaming magkakalaban sa barangay," the 17-year-old Crisselle Assuncion said. "Kapag sila lang kasi, tinatamad sila. Gusto nila may nag-aasikaso." A coordinator for Asuncion said they got used to the "hakutan" system. "Sa amin, nakasanayan na kasi na kapag ganito, lumalapit sila sa isang opisyal para magparehistro. Syempre kami, ina-assist lang namin sila," Reynaldo Cruz said. None of the voters at the Comelec QC headquarters that GMA News Online interviewed admitted that they were part of the "hakot." Johnny Salgana, a candidate for kagawad in Barangay Sangandaan, denied that the food—giniling with rice—he prepared under his tent were for his "hakot." "Para lang sa mga coordinator ng mga tao," said Salgana in an interview with GMA News Online. "Nakakaawa naman 'yung mga hindi pa nakakakain." Comelec QC election officer Sheila Rafanan surmised that the "hakot" system was due to the intense rivalry in the barangays. "Mas mainit kasi ang eleksyon kapag barangay level," she told GMA News Online. Rafanan added that the limited number of days—from July 22 until 31—may have also contributed to the crowd of agitated registrants. "Mas marami talaga ngayon considering the number of days. 'Yung mga tao, ginamit nila 'yung opportunity to register," Rafanan said. Other reasons for the swell Suspected flying voters among the crowd—those who transferred from one barangay to another to register—were believed to be supporters of local officials in their new barangays. Although the system is not entirely illegal, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the voters will still have to be assessed by the Election Registration Board in order to determine the legitimacy of their residency at the new barangay. "'Yung flying voter, hindi pa 'yan [officially] flying voter dahil dadaan pa yan sa proseso ng ERB hearing. Isa 'yan sa nagiging vulnerabilities ng sistema," Jimenez said in a "News to Go"  interview. Jimenez had a more positive view of the crowd, saying that the number were due to more enlightened voters. "People want to vote and register," Jimenez said, acknowledging, too, the scores of registrants "mobilized" by the barangay officials in the "hakot" system. Deluge of aspirants In spite of the rains and an overcast sky, an unexpected deluge of irate registrants flooded the last day of the village polls registration. The Comelec projected 750,000 registrants nationwide, but the crowd ballooned to almost 1.2 million as of July 28, at least according to the estimates of Comelec spokesperson Jimenez. "Nakakapagtaka lang na magkakaroon ng ganyang kalaki na katatapos lang ng isang eleksyon," Commission on Elections chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said in a phone interview. Brillantes suspected that there were was an increase in the number of registered voters who wanted to transfer from one barangay to another, causing the crowd to swell. "Kaya malaki ang bilang, because of the transferees. 'Yung mga barangay chairman na magkakandidado, nililipat lang nila 'yung mga tao para bumoto sa kanila," said Brillantes, himself an election lawyer before being appointed Comelec chairman. They had wanted to prioritize first time voters for the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK). Stampede The chaos was most apparent at the Comelec Manila office, where policemen set up barricades—supposedly to maintain the line during the opening of the registration. But later that morning, a stampede brought down the barricades like flimsy cardboard, according to a "24 Oras" report. Police officers had to push against a wall of irate registrants in order to stop them from spilling through the Comelec entrance. "Apat na beses na akong pumipila, hindi pa rin ako [makapasok]," said a visibly sweaty female aspiring voter in the report. She had just managed to slip through the wall of protesting registrants. The situation was, at the very least, calmer at the Comelec office in Quezon City—although registrants did not push against one another, they raised their forms and chanted in protest of the chaotic registration process. The lines were abandoned, prompting one female voter to bring out her own straw rope to block others from skipping lines. "Paiba-iba sila ng sistema," an agitated Jessica Fernandez of Barangay North Fairview said, adding that she'd been in line for three days. "Lahat ng init dinaramdam namin, wala namang nangyayari." Among the crowd, some mothers were noticeably carrying their children—some of them infants—in spite of the grueling registration process. "Wala pong bantay, eh. May work pa 'yung papa namin," a mother said in the "24 Oras" report. Brillantes blamed the long lines on the supposed "hakot" system, a common practice during the registration and election day. "Hakot" occurs when politicians transport people, presumably supporters, to voting registration venues. No extension Despite the chaos, chairman Brillantes braved the crowd to visit the Comelec Manila office. He was greeted by cheers from the crowd and chants for an extension. "Extension! Extension!" went the shouts of irate aspiring voters, but the white-haired executive merely brushed off the calls. "Wala nang extension! Umuwi na kayo. Magkakasakit lang tayo pare-pareho," Brillantes said. — VC/DVM, GMA News