Press Release
June 24, 2009

RP EMBASSIES ABROAD SHOULD PUT UP MOBILE CENTERS
TO REGISTER OVERSEAS VOTERS - PIMENTEL

        Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today proposed that Philippine embassies and consulates abroad should be required to put up mobile voters registration centers in areas where huge number of Filipinos are based to encourage them to register and exercise their right of suffrage.

        Pimentel stressed that the deficiencies in the Overseas Absentee Voting Act (Republic Act 9189) should be corrected to encourage overseas Filipinos to make use of their voting right and to help them overcome problems in registering and casting their ballots.

        The Senator from Mindanao who is now in Geneva to attend to the conference of the Human Rights of Parliamentarians said that he received a report in Amsterdam that roughly only 800 overseas Filipinos in the Netherlands registered to vote in the forthcoming elections.

        That dismal registration result reflect the problems faced both by the embassy personnel and Filipinos overseas.

        "Unless these flaws are rectified by amendment of the law if necessary or by action of the Comelec where possible," Pimentel said, "a huge number of qualified overseas Filipinos will be deterred from availing of their right to vote for national government officials in their homeland."

        He said a practical way to address the problem is for the personnel of Philippine embassies abroad, such as in Saudi Arabia, Canada and United States, to go to areas with large concentrations of overseas Filipino workers and conduct voters' registration there.

        One other need is to enable the OFWs to cast their vote by mail.

        "In Saudi Arabia and the US, for example, there are Filipinos who live in states or provinces that are too far away from the Philippine embassy or consulate, which are the designated registration and voting centers. To register, they have to take the plane. In Saudi Arabia, they have to cross hundreds or thousands of miles of desert to reach Riyadh or Jeddah where our diplomatic officials are based. How can you expect these overseas Filipinos to avail of their voting right in the face of these constraints?" the minority leader said.

        If funds are needed for these efforts, the Comelec should use whatever funds have been placed under its disposition. And if need be, Congress should appropriate the needed amounts.

        Pimentel said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Commission on Elections should also put up voters registration stations in the international airports in cities abroad where departing or arriving Filipinos can sign up or get their registration forms.

        Of the estimated more than 4 million qualified overseas Filipinos, only 365,000 registered of which only 65 percent or 233,092 cast their votes in the 2004 national and local elections.

        In the 2007 election, records show that 503,896 overseas Filipinos registered but a mere 21 percent or 81,732 cast their ballots.

        Incidentally, Pimentel said that Senate Bill 2333, filed by Senators Pimentel and Manuel Villar, provides that field and mobile registration centers shall be set up by the Philippine embassies and consulates concerned to ensure accessibility for the overseas absentee voters. Pre-departure registration for OFWs shall likewise be conducted in accredited government agencies or facilities to be designated by the Comelec.

        He suggested that Congress should immediately approve the law if its needed by the Comelec to register the most number of Filipinos overseas for purposes of the forthcoming elections.

        The bill provides that the overseas absentee voters, including seafarers, will have option to vote either personally or by mail or by any other means as may be allowed by law.

        It also prescribes the procedures and requirements by which absentee voting right can be exercised by Filipinos who are citizens of other countries but who have reacquired Filipino citizenship by availing of the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act (Republic Act 9226)

        The Pimentel-Villar bill mandates the creation of a Resident Election Registration Board to process, approve or disapprove all applications for registration or certification of overseas absentee voters.

        An overseas absentee voter opting to vote by mail shall file his request with the Philippine embassy, consulate or foreign service establishment that has jurisdiction over the country where he temporarily resides at least l20 days before the day of election. Only those who applied for a postal vote shall be given mailed ballots.

        They may mail or personally deliver their duly-accomplished ballots to the embassy or consulate concerned ensuring that the same will be received by the Special Ballot Reception and Custody Group concerned on or before the close of voting on the day of election.

        The SBRCG is the group deputized by the Comelec to receive and take custody of all accountable and non-accountable election forms, supplies and paraphernalia.

        Overseas Filipinos are given a maximum period of 30 days, including the day of election and established holidays in the Philippines and in the host countries, within which to cast their votes.

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