THE Commission on Elections-Davao Region (Comelec-Davao) said that individuals may go to their office to update their biometrics after concerns were raised regarding outdated pictures.
Atty. Gay Enumerables, Comelec-Davao assistant regional director, explained that individuals with outdated biometrics or deactivated accounts may have their photos retaken during reactivation to replace the outdated ones.
“Very helpful talaga yung picture because makita talaga ng teacher kung totoo ba na yung identitty ng botante ba (The picture is really very helpful because the teacher can see if the voter's identity is real),” she said during Kapihan sa PIA, on Wednesday morning, May 14, 2025, at NCCC VP.
Enumerables said that in some cases, the voter's photo is so outdated that the person is no longer recognizable, but this is resolved through further verification.
The issue surrounding biometric photos surfaced when several netizens expressed concerns and even joked about their images not resembling their current appearance when they voted.
Maria Hannah Budiongan, a voter from Tibungco, told VoxPop Davao on May 15, 2025, that her photo is included in the Comelec biometric system; however, she hopes to be able to update it.
She said that the biometric system is very helpful, especially during elections, as it enables quick identity verification and reduces the risk of fraud. However, she pointed out a drawback of the poor photo quality, which she believes Comelec should improve.
“I would still suggest na gamiton siya for the next elections for identity verification, transparency, and security (I would still suggest that it be used for the next elections for identity verification, transparency, and security),” she said.
Therence Mae Lamban, a voter from Panabo City, shared that her photo was taken 10 years ago and is already outdated. While she found it nostalgic to see her younger self, she emphasized the importance of updating photos for more accurate identification.
“I suggest gamiton gihapon siya next election, but with the updated picture na unta, since naa biya face features sa people ang na-change as years went by (I suggest that it should still be used in the next election, but hopefully with an updated picture, since people’s facial features do change over the years),” she shared to VoxPop Davao.
Lamban noted that the biometric system was helpful during the 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE), as having voter photos made it easier and faster to locate precinct numbers. She said using the biometric system in the next election would be beneficial as long as the pictures are kept up to date.
However, she suggested that updating biometric photos should be made available virtually to avoid the inconvenience of voters lining up at Comelec offices.
Earlier, millions of Filipinos cast their votes on May 12 for the NLE. RGP
