Manila: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has issued a warning about fraudulent individuals offering assistance online for securing voter certificates in exchange for a fee. The poll body has emphasized that such services are not authorized and has urged the public to disregard any offers made through social media platforms.

According to Philippines News Agency, the advisory from Comelec strongly advises against engaging with online transaction accounts or pages that propose fee-based assistance in obtaining voter certificates. The commission clarified that voter certificates are provided for free and no payments should be required. These certificates can serve as temporary voter ID cards and are issued upon the request of registered voters.

In addition, Comelec has announced that applicants for voter registration can now check their registration statuses online. Those who registered through the Special Register Anywhere/Anytime Program (SRAP) or the Register Anywhere Program (RAP) can verify their statuses by visiting the commission's official website. Applicants need to navigate to the "Voter Registration" tab and select the "List of Register Anywhere Program (RAP) Approved/Disapproved Applicants" option. They should then choose the relevant Election Registration Board (ERB) hearing schedule, and select the specific region, city, or municipality where they registered.

Based on the latest data from Comelec, a total of 9,163 individuals have applied for voter registration through the SRAP/RAP activities.