 |
| Prototype of the digital voter's ID which will be sent to overseas voters via email |
At long last, all Filipinos who have registered to vote overseas will be getting their identification card, which will now be issued to them in digital form.
The Commission on Elections in the Philippines
stopped issuing the overseas voter’s ID in 2018, after legislators approved a
bill establishing a National Identification System, which proposes only one ID
for all government transactions.
However, due to the slow implementation of the National
ID system and the introduction of internet voting by most Filipinos abroad for
next year’s mid-term election, Comelec decided to resume the issuance of voter’s
IDs, but this time in digital form.
 |
| Pindutin para sa detalye |
Voters will be sent a copy of their digital ID through
email, which they must download and print by themselves.
Comelec said overseas voters may use the modern ID as
an alternative proof of identification when they enroll for internet voting, in
case their Philippine passport of seafarer’s identification record book is not
available.
While the digital ID has been made available to many
Filipino voters abroad since the start of the year, those who are in Hong Kong
will have to wait awhile.
 |
| Basahin ang detalye! |
Vice Consul Angelo Manuel, who is tasked with
overseas voting here for the 2025 senatorial elections in the Philippines, said
they are still awaiting further guidance from Comelec on the distribution, but said
they hope to be able to do this soon.
Manuel said the final batch of IDs has yet to be
sent by Comelec, which could be due to the sheer number of registered voters
here.
After the two-year overseas voting registration ended
on Monday, Manuel said they expect the final tally of registered voters to be
between 90,000 to 95,000 - still the biggest for any single post abroad.
He said the Consulate will need help, even with just
sending out the digital IDs to registered voters.
Manuel admits knowing about the great interest
attached by Filipino voters to the ID since it is one of the perennial
questions being asked of Consulate officers whenever they attend community
events.
He advised voters to make sure they have easy access
to the email address they will furnish Comelec as that is where their digital
IDs will be sent.
The digital ID will come in handy when overseas
voters are asked to take part in a pre-enrolment for internet voting. This
would require the submission of personal identification and government-issued
identification documents.
Comelec will use the Online Voting and Counting System
for the first time in overseas voting, which will run from April 13 to May 12,
2025. Filipinos abroad will be able to vote for up to 12 senators and one
party-list, whose representatives will sit at the House of Representatives if
they get enough vote.
 |
