US troops in RP make their vote count

ZAMBOANGA CITY – American forces deployed in southern Philippines to assist the local military in the anti-terrorism drive have voted in the US presidential polls, according to an official.

Col. William “Bill” Coultrup, commander of the US Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P), said US military personnel under his unit were encouraged to participate in the election through absentee voting last month.

“What we do is we encourage everyone within the armed forces to do absentee voting. It’s not just here but all those who are deployed throughout the world,” Coultrup said.

He said military servicemen assigned outside their country can do absentee voting as long as they meet the deadline.

“All the actions that they have done should count,” he said. “Now obviously some of them chose not to, then that’s their choice. It’s freedom of choice.”

Coultrup said the votes are sealed and mailed to their respective states.

It was not known, however, how many of the US servicemen deployed in southern Philippines under the JSOTF-P voted.

The US military official also clarified that the US armed forces is non-partisan.

“Whoever is elected, we follow the orders of the president of the United States. It’s an oath that we swear. We don’t say we follow one party or the other – we just follow the order of the President of the United States because he is duly elected. We don’t get involved in politics,” Coultrup said.

Election watch in Manila, Cebu

Meanwhile, the US Embassy will hold “Election Watch” on Wednesday (Nov. 5) at SM malls in Manila and Cebu to provide continuous updates of the results of the US election.

The embassy said Election Watch events are in celebration of democracy. The program will be held simultaneously from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the SM Mall of Asia in Manila and SM Mall in Cebu City.

US Ambassador Kristie Kenney and US Deputy Chief of Mission Paul Jones will be participating in the Manila and Cebu programs, respectively.

Election Watch at both locations will feature continuous updates of election results from live cable TV feeds, trivia contests, and information sources from the Internet. 

Voting machines that use ballots similar to those actually used in the US will be available for those who would like to participate in mock elections.

US Embassy representatives will also be on hand to answer questions on the elections and the election process.

The US presidential election of 2008, scheduled on Nov. 4, will be the 56th consecutive quadrennial US presidential election and will select the President and the Vice President of the US.

The Republican Party candidate is John McCain, a senior senator from Arizona, while the Democratic Party has chosen Barack Obama, a junior senator from Illinois, as its nominee.

The 2008 election is particularly notable because it is the first time in US history that two sitting senators will run against each other for president, and because it is the first time an African-American is a presidential nominee for a major party.

It also marks the first time for both major candidates to be born outside the continental United States – Hawaii for Obama and the Panama Canal Zone for McCain.

Since the Republican candidate for vice president, Sarah Palin, is a woman, the eventual winning ticket is very likely to be historic, as neither an African-American nor a female has achieved either office.

Should they win, McCain would be the oldest first-term president and the Democratic nominee for vice president, Joe Biden, would be the first Roman Catholic vice president. – With Pia Lee Brago