Vice President Jejomar C. Binay on Monday urged Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to register for the May 2013 midterm elections.
“Nananawagan po ako sa ating mga kababayan na nasa ibang bansa na magpunta po sa ating mga embahada at konsulado para magrehistro bilang botante sa susunod na halalan,” Binay said.
“Ang pagboto ay isang napakahalagang karapatan at responsibilidad na kailangan nating gampanan bilang mga Pilipino,” he added.
Binay, the Presidential Adviser on OFW Concerns, issued the call after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced it was still 200,000 short of its target of one million registrants.
“Napakadali pong magrehistro. Kailangan niyo lang pong ipakita ang inyong pasaporte at punuin ang registration form,” he said.
“Kung kayo naman po ay nasa bansa ngayon ngunit nasa ibayong dagat sa araw ng halalan, maaari rin po kayong magpunta sa COMELEC (Commission on Elections) sa inyong lugar o sa mga registration centers sa NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) at POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Agency),” he added.
The Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003 allows qualified Filipino citizens residing abroad to vote for President, Vice President, Senators and Party-List Representatives.
All Filipino citizens abroad who are at least 18 years old on 14 May 2013, and who are not otherwise disqualified by law, are allowed to register.
Filipinos with dual citizenship or those who have reacquired or retained their Philippine citizenship under RA 9225 may also vote.
The new registrants include 110,170 abroad and 101,839 who registered at local overseas absentee voting (OAV) registration centers at the DFA-Aseana, Commission on Filipinos Overseas, NAIA, POEA, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Joint Manning Group (JMG) and the Associated Marine Officers and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP), and Philippine Transmarine Carriers Inc.
As of August 10, the DFA said OAV registration has exceeded 800,000 with 212,009 new registrants.
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