ILOILO CITY, Philippines – When next year’s presidential elections are held, the next president will be known by midnight of the same day, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said yesterday.
Speaking to reporters, Comelec Commissioner Leonardo Leonida said the outcome will be faster than last year’s US presidential elections.
“By midnight, we will already know who won,” he said.
“With electronic transmission, even if the country is made up of islands, we could speedily relay the results, just as long as there are mobile phone signals.”
However, the fast election results would be possible only if terrorists do not blow up cell sites before the elections, he added.
Leonida said he hopes that Congress will allocate funds for the automation of the 2010 elections.
The poll body is awaiting approval of an P11.3-billion supplemental budget that Congress had promised to appropriate before month’s end, he added.
Leonida said once Congress has passed the appropriations, the Comelec will proceed with the bidding for the electoral automation machines.
One major obstacle to the computerization of the country’s voting system is the unavailability of funds, he added.
OFWs urged to register for 2010 polls
The Comelec has urged Filipinos abroad to register for next year’s presidential elections.
Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer said there are around five million registered absentee voters worldwide.
Absentee voters’ registration will end on Aug. 31, he added.
Foreign Undersecretary Rafael Seguis said 47,699 overseas Filipinos took part in the 2005-2006 registration for overseas absentee voters (OAVs).
He is optimistic that the turnout for this year’s registration would be significantly higher, Seguis added.
Ferrer said the Manila International Airport Authority will simplify the process for voter’s registration of overseas Filipinos.
Under the Overseas Absentee Voting Act, the MIAA and the DFA are mandated to cooperate with the Comelec to guaranty this right of suffrage of Filipinos abroad.
Overseas voters’ registration is being conducted in all 91 foreign service posts, including the newly opened ones in Macau, China; Oslo, Norway: Barcelona, Spain; Damascus, Syria; and Frankfurt, Germany; as well as the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia and three stations of the Manila Economic Cultural Office in Taiwan.
Registrants are required to present a valid Philippine passport and an accomplished OAV registration/certification form.
During the registration period, previous registrants can also file or request for transfer of registration records. – With Sheila Crisostomo, Mayen Jaymalin, Rudy Santos