Meager budget for poll reforms slammed

Opposition Sen. Tessie Aquino-Oreta twitted President Arroyo yesterday for vowing to modernize the country’s antiquated electoral system while committing only P300 million in the 2003 national budget for reforming the electoral process.

"The President’s call for New Politics would ring hollow if Malacañang continues to pay mere lip service to its commitment to modernize the electoral system," she said.

Newly confirmed Chairman Benjamin Abalos of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said that they need P3.98 billion for the poll modernization effort.

Malacanang has reportedly told the Comelec that it could not grant its proposed modernization budget for 2003 because of budgetary constraints brought about by the ballooning fiscal deficit.

"How could Malacañang fulfill its commitment to modernize the electoral process with the next elections only 20 months away if the Comelec does not have enough funds to carry out the task?" Oreta asked.

She said that Malacañang’s failure to provide the needed funds raises serious doubts about the Arroyo administration’s commitment to poll modernization.

"The Arroyo administration should now switch to poll modernization program on overdrive if it wants to be true to its vision of pursuing a politics of reform," Oreta urged.

In a related development, Sen. Edgardo Angara said the proposed Absentee Voting Law has recognized the peculiar circumstances surrounding more than 600,000 Filipino seafarers abroad by giving them a longer period to register and cast their votes.

"The 90-day election period will be extended for the seafarers in recognition of their highly mobile condition," said Angara, chairman of the Senate committee on suffrage and electoral reforms.

The seafarers will also be allowed to designate specific forwarding addresses where ballots would be sent by the Comelec. The filled ballots can then be sent to a Philippine consulate and embassy in time for the counting and canvass of votes.

"The special working conditions of the seafarers were specifically factored in by the senators during the deliberations of the absentee voting measure," Angara noted.

The Philippines is the biggest exporter of maritime manpower. At any given time, more than 600,000 Filipino seafarers are aboard international merchant marine vessels.

The Senate passed on second reading Wednesday the proposed Absentee Voting Law that grants up to 7 million Filipinos abroad the right to vote. The chamber is set to approve the bill on third and final reading on Oct. 21.