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MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE) - The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday extended registration of voters for the May 10, 2010 elections until January 9, 2010, according to a radio dzMM report.

The Supreme Court said voters' registration for the national elections should be extended until January 9, 2010 as provided by law. The decision is immediately executory, the court added.

Kabataan party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino asked the Supreme Court last October 30 to move the deadline for voters' registration to January 9 as provided by law.

"We are questioning the legality of shortened voters' registration. According to Section 8 of the Voter Registration Act of 1996, registration should be daily and 120 days before election," Palatino had said. (Access petition here: kabataanpartylist.com/b... )

"The deadline should be January 9. Congress, not Comelec, has the power to amend a law," he said.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) had set the deadline for voters' registration to October 31 due to the demands of poll automation.

Only 3 million first-time voters

According to Palatino, National Statistics Office data shows there should be 11 million first-time voters, but only 3 million had registered.

Other petitioners were Jade Charmane Rose Valenzuela, Jacqueline Alexis Merced, Ana Katrina Tejero, Kenneth Carlisle Earl Eugenio, and Victor Louis Crisostomo, all first-time voters who tried but failed to register due various reasons.

They were joined by Alvin Peters, president of the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP); Vijae Alquisola, president of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP); Ken Leonard Ramos, chairperson of Anakbayan; and, Ma. Cristina Angela Guevarra, chairperson of the Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (SCMP).

At the House of Representatives, Palatino had filed three resolutions--House Resolutions 1162, 1443, and 1336--seeking the extension of voters’ registration.