Drilon: Government needs P1-B for absentee voting

Senate President Franklin Drilon said at least P1 billion of the national budget for 2003 must be earmarked for the conduct of the first absentee voting exercise in 2004.

Preparatory steps for the absentee polls must be taken next year, including registration of absentee voters and the creation of elections units in Philippine embassies and consulates in key cities abroad, he added.

House Speaker Jose de Venecia said Congress agreed to include the P1 billion required to implement the country’s first-ever overseas balloting in the 2003 national budget.

The bill cleared the penultimate hurdle in the Senate, 14 votes to one, and will be officially approved on third and final reading on Oct. 21. The House of Representatives is set to approve a counterpart measure soon.

Leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives agreed to pass the bill, certified as urgent by President Arroyo, before Oct. 25 and the next recess of Congress.

"We have just reached a milestone, delivering on a constitutional promise for overseas Filipinos," opposition Sen. Edgardo Angara said.

During the Senate committee hearings on the bill, Commission on Elections (Comelec) officials said government would need a total of P4 billion to implement the law during the 2004 elections.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said the entire process will cost government a total of P6 billion. DFA Secretary Blas Ople said additional DFA personnel must be deployed to Philippine embassies and consulates abroad to act as election officials and implement the absentee voting law. – Sammy Santos, AFP