Pinoys in US, Canada back absentee vote bill

NEW YORK CITY — Filipinos in the US East Coast and Canada gave an enthusiastic reception yesterday to the proposed bills on absentee voting and on dual citizenship.

Some 150 representatives of various organizations of Filipinos in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Canada voiced their support for the two bills, while giving their proposals during a bicameral consultations held at the Philippine consulate in Manhattan.

Senate President Franklin Drilon and Sen. Edgardo Angara, chairman of the Senate committee on suffrage and electoral reforms, both expressed their admiration for the enthusiasm of Filipinos in America in participating in the electoral process and in maintaining their ties with the Philippines.

"It is indeed true that you can take the Filipino out of the Philippines but you can never take the Philippines out of the Filipino," Drilon said before the crowd, some of whom were waving the Philippine flag.

Angara said he saw the same enthusiasm in previous consultations on absentee voting in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Riyadh, Dubai and Rome. The consultation on dual citizenship was held for the first time here in New York City.

Angara said that the results of yesterday’s consultations have firmed up their decision to provide for on-site voting and canvass of votes. An earlier proposal of the committee was for pilot testing of on-site voting and canvassing in selected places abroad.

He also cited the Filipinos overseas for volunteering to help safeguard the votes.

"We will most probably empower some non-government organizations abroad to assist the Commission on Elections in the counting of votes," he said.

Chairman Alfredo Benipayo of the Commission on Elections, who also attended the public consultations, said the poll body will draft the implementing rules and regulations that will ensure organizations that will be deputized will remain non-partisan.

Angara also said that as result of yesterday’s consultations, they will restudy a proposed provision in the bill on absentee voting requiring overseas Filipinos to execute an affidavit signifying their intention to return to the Philippines within six months before they can vote.

"Senate President Drilon and I have asked lawyers here to study that provision because we were told that it might jeopardize the status of Green Card holders in the United States," he explained.

He stressed that the Senate would not do anything that would go against the interest of Filipinos abroad.

The Comelec has estimated that absentee voting would require a budget of at least P500 million. Angara said that the amount would appear big at first blush.

"But if you consider that overseas Filipinos remit to the Philippines at least $10 billion a year, or about P500 billion a year, then you realize that the amount is negligible compared to their contribution," Angara said.

Drilon, in pushing for dual citizenship, said that Congress should acknowledge that a big number of Filipinos who have become citizens of other countries remain deeply rooted to their home country.

Under his bill on dual citizenship, renunciation of a former nationality, when required under a naturalization process, would not be a bar to dual citizenship.

"A dual citizen can run for an elective position in the Philippines but should renounce the other citizenship. He will also be allowed to engage in all activities allowed a Filipino citizen, own real estate and engage in the practice of a profession," Angara added.