Considered as the “modern-day heroes” of the Philippines, migrant Filipino workers are the greatest contributors to our country’s economic stability.
Perhaps, this may be the reason why our lawmakers collectively agreed that our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) should not be stripped off their right to vote, even if they are outside the country.
House committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms chair of Dasmarinas Elpidio Barzaga Jr., , said in a report from ManilaTimes.net that “scrapping” the Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) law or the Absentee Voting Act of 2003 simply because there were not enough registrants is “very absurd and illogical.”
According to reports, Congress plans to discontinue the OAV law mainly due the low turn-out of registrants. Aside from the long travel time of busy registrants, the small number of registered voters was attributed to the ineffective dissemination of information and lack of voting machines in different consulates.
According to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), the lack of voter registration machines (VRMs) was due to requested funds for the OAV being declined.
Internet voting is still a pending option because Section 16 of the OAV law states that “only ballots cast, and mailed ballots received by the Philippine embassies, consulates and other Foreign Service establishments shall be counted.”
Quezon City representative Winston Castelo also said in the same Manila Times report that the low turn-out can still be fixed and that it was “just a result of informational glitch.” He also believes that OFWs should be heard and their rights to democracy “should not be sacrificed.”
Convinced that it is too early to tell if the OAV will be unsuccessful, Congressman Giorgidi Aggabao of Isabela said that concerned government agencies like the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should lead the planning of an effective strategy —one that would effectively communicate and disseminate information to OFWs, in their respective host countries.
Despite the lack in funds, COMELEC will provide incentives to Filipinos abroad who will register.
Speaking before the press, Chairman of the Comelec Committee on OAV (COAV), Armando Velasco said that they understand the busy schedules of Pinoys abroad, that is why trips to different tourist spots in the Philippines should be an enticing incentive.
A low turnout should not be a deterrent, instead it should serve as a challenge for the government to pursue more effective systems to generate more registered Overseas Absentee Voters.It is a government’s responsibility to ensure that each citizen practices this fundamental right and exhaust all means possible for them to put it into practice.
In the words of the great Aristotle, “If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost.”
One must not underestimate the power of a mere number of individuals to exercise their right to vote. Each individual is part and partial of what comprises our functioning society—and even more so for our hardworking OFWs, who have already made huge sacrifices, in order to provide for the needs of their families.
(www.asianjournal.com)
(NYNJ Jan 27- Feb 2, 2012 Sec A pg. 6)
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