Pinoy resident in Tokyo first to vote in Japan

MANILA, Philippines – A founding member of a Filipino association in Japan was first among the 19,230 overseas registered voters in Tokyo to cast his vote for the 2016 national elections, the Philippine embassy said yesterday.

The Special Board of Election Inspectors at the embassy in Tokyo welcomed Dante Sagbanan Negre, a long-time permanent resident in Japan, as its first overseas voter last Saturday.

“I was happy and proud to be a Filipino when I fed my accomplished ballot into the vote counting machine. I chose to cast my vote personally because I want to test the machine myself. I am very satisfied with the system,” said Negre, founding member of the United Filipinos for Peace and Advancement.

As a native of Luna town in Kalinga Apayao, he called on Filipinos to remain united and use their ballots to express their feelings and thoughts for the country.

 This year’s overseas voting experience, he said, is something new compared to the postal voting system he went through in the 2010 and 2013 national elections.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) allows overseas voters to use either the postal or personal voting method under the automated election system this year.

The embassy also recorded Generosa Balocating as the first to cast her vote using the postal voting process.