MANILA - The modes of voting to be implemented in the Philippines' different overseas posts for the 2022 presidential elections have yet to be finalized, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday said.
Lawyer Philip Luis Marin of the Comelec’s Office for Overseas Voting (OFOV) said the posts give them recommendations on what particular voting best suits their location, subject to the approval of the Comelec en banc.
“The DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) personnel at the post knows what’s happening in their territorial jurisdiction. The Commission en banc relies mostly on their recommendations or suggestion,” said Marin during the 2nd virtual Comelec Media Conference for the 2022 National and Local Elections.
Marin said each of the 94 posts can choose either personal, postal or a mixed method of voting.
“We’ve been coordinating with DFA, so far what we get from them is that out of the 94 posts, 55 posts want it done by postal—tentatively lang po ito—and then 27 posts want it done by personal, and 12 posts want it done by mixed personal/postal,” he said.
Comelec’ Commission en banc usually approves recommendation for voting methods in the months of November or December.
“Right now, ang proseso natin inaalam natin kung ano 'yung sentimyento ng iba’t ibang posts to find out ano ang pinaka-angkop sa kanila na voting method and then that would be submitted to the en banc. And the en banc will make that decision on the proper time. We will release that information so that everyone will be informed what mode of voting will be used in what country,” said Comelec spokesperson, Director James Jimenez.
(Right now, the process includes determining the sentiments of each posts and find out what voting method is appropriate for them and then that would be submitted to the en banc.)
Marin said the Comelec suspended overseas absentee voting in Tripoli in Libya and Baghdad in Iraq in the 2019 polls due to prevailing local conditions in those areas.
“Since last election din na-suspend din po 'yan ang it has not been lifted pa rin. So out of the 94 posts, two of that would be Tripoli and Baghdad and it will be still non-operational unless mag-issue ang Comelec en banc ng order na pwede na sila mag-operate through the advise of the Department of Foreign Affairs,” he said.
(We suspended it since last election and it has not been lifted. So out of the 94 posts, two of that would be Tripoli and Baghdad and it will be still non-operational unless Comelec en banc issues an order allowing them to operate through the advise of the Department of Foreign Affairs.)
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