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| About 100 OFWs took part in Comelec's briefing in HK on online voting (photo from Chair George Garcia's X account) |
Online voting has the potential to turn overseas Filipinos into political kingmakers, said Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Gary Domingo during a talk before Filipino community leaders in Hong Kong yesterday.
“If the overseas Filipino community can vote (using the internet), you can determine the outcome of Philippine elections, said Domingo, who is the Department of Foreign Affairs head of the Overseas Voting Secretariat.
He said that even if only 70% of the estimated 10 to 12 million Filipinos overseas cast their ballots in the 2025 presidential election, they would still hold sway in Philippine politics.
In the previous election in 2022, where voting was conducted face-to-face or by mail, only about 600,000 or about 40.5% of the 1.697 million who registered to vote had cast their ballots.
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With the introduction of online voting for most overseas Filipinos, the DFA and the Commission on Elections are hoping to boost both the registration and the turnout considerably, as the limitations of time and distance that voters had often complained about in the past, will be eliminated.
With online voting, those overseas will be able to vote anywhere, anytime, as long as they have a srong internet connection, said the officials.
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| The Comelec commissioners with DFA Usec Gary Domingo (3rd from left), OVS vice chair Bob Quintin, (rightmost) and Consul General Germinia Usudan |
Domingo was in Hong Kong to join four Comelec commissioners brief Filipino community leaders on the system that is being developed to allow nationals overseas to vote using the internet, and get their reactions and suggestions.
In opening the daylong session held at Park Lane hotel in Causeway Bay, Consul General Germinia Aguilar-Usudan told the Filcom leaders in Hong Kong that online voting marks a “monumental shift” in how Philippine elections are conducted, as it paves the way for increased political participation and a more inclusive political representation.”
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She said the aim is to make the voting process as seamless and as convenient as possible for overseas Filipinos, especially those in Hong Kong, who used to line up for hours on Sunday amid the searing heat, just to cast their ballots in the lone polling station at Bayanihan Centre in Kennedy Town.
“Rather than physically casting your votes, overseas Filipinos in Hong Kong now have the opportunity to vote online within the comfort of your own homes and at your own convenience,” she said.
Usudan noted with pride that Filipinos in Hong Kong have been very active participants in overseas voting. In the last election in 2022, she said there were 93,886 registered voters in the city, and of these, 62,252 had cast their ballot, for a relatively high turnout of 64%.
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She also disclosed that the day before, 40 representatives from various foreign service posts also joined the Comelec in a whole-day training on online voting and counting.
She reminded the leaders that the deadline for registration for next year’s election is the 30th of September this year, and that both the Consulate on the 14th floor and the Migrant Workers Office on the 29th floor of United Centre building in Admiralty have desks where qualified voters may sign up.
She also urged everyone who has registered as voters to check with the Consulate website if their biometric data is complete, or approach staff at MWO for help.
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| Casquejo tells Filcom leaders online voting is the way to go |
Leading the briefing was Commissoner Marlon Casquejo, who is in charge of overseas voting for the Comelec. He said it’s all systems go for the new mode of voting, which will be adopted in most overseas posts, except for those in countries with internet restrictions like China and Russia.
Casquejo said it is not likely that those who had expressed reservations about online voting, including some senators, would take the extreme measure of applying for a temporary restraining order against them with the Supreme Court.
“Sa tingin ko hindi mangyayari kasi marami ang ma disenfranchise,” he said (I think that will not happen because a lot of voters will be disenfranchised).
“Will the Supreme Court issue a TRO? There is a very, very slight chance (of that happening).”
Going for internet voting has long been eyed by the Comelec as it should be easier to implement and far less costly, but it has been plagued by doubts on whether it can do this on its own or wait for legislative approval.
But with veteran lawyer George Garcia taking over as Comelec chairman, the poll body has taken the view that since the Overseas Voting Act of 2013 allows it to implement other means of voting overseas, Congress approval is no longer necessary.
Casquejo, along with Comelec officials tasked with providing information about online voting, took the audience through the process of first, enrolling as a registered voter; then accessing the voting portal where they will be asked to first present their credentials before being allowed to vote..
To ensure that the person casting the ballot is the named voter, there will be a pre-enrolment period 60 days before the start of voting period, which is from Apr 13, 2025 to May 12, 2025. The pre-enrolment will then take place from Feb. 12 to Apr 12, 2025.
To enroll for the election, the voter will have to upload the required documents and provide an email address, then wait for verification from the Consulate (or other overseas posts).
During verification, the Consulate will check against the National Registry of Overseas Voters whether the applicant is a registered voter. If confirmed, a link to the election portal will be sent to the voter. Once done, the voter will receive a digital print of the cast ballot.
According to Casquejo, Comelec will issue digital voter’s IDs that can used as an alternative government-issued valid ID if a Philippine passport is unavailable. However, the voter won’t be allowed to download this digital ID.
Those
who need help with pre-enrolment and online voting may go to kiosks to be
provided by the Consulate and all overseas posts.
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