Comelec, DFA urged to extend overseas absentee voting registration deadline

MANILA, Philippines - A Filipino migrant group has called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Department of Foreign Affairs-Overseas Absentee Voting Secretariat (DFA-OAVS) to extend the registration of overseas absentee voters (OAV), which ends on Oct. 31, 2015. 

"We understand that the OAV registration will be ending on October 31. However, there are more overseas Filipinos who have manifested their willingness to register so that they can vote for the incoming national elections,” John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator, said. 

Monterona said since OAV registration requires personal appearance, many overseas Filipinos in the Middle East and other regions have difficulty in reaching the Philippine diplomatic post due to work and financial constraints 

Though there are scheduled field mobile registrations, Monterona said that they should also be conducted outside the major cities to reach more Filipinos.

Last week, the Comelec and DFA-OAVS announced the extension of the reactivation of overseas voters who have failed to vote during the two previous succeeding elections, until December 31.

“We welcome the Comelec and DFA-OAVS decision to extend the reactivation period until December 31. But many OFWs will be more than happy if the overseas voters’ registration will also be extended until the 2nd week of January 2016,”Monterona said.

He said that Migrante chapters will be sending OAV extension letter request to Comelec and Philippine diplomatic posts. 

Monterona said all Migrante chapters, allies and networks of OFW groups were in fully mobilized to reach out OFWs, urging them to register especially during the remaining Fridays of October.

As of September 2015, as per Comelec-DFA-OAVS statistical report, there are 1,103,809 registered voters overseas. 

Middle East and North Africa registered voters 475,729, Asia Pacific with 278,060, North and Latin America with 222,661, and Europe with 127,359.