RESPONSE TO THE ONLINE PETITION/REQUEST TO EXTEND REGISTRATION PERIOD

23 August 2006

     On 1 October 2005, the Commission on Elections resumed the registration of overseas absentee voters in all Philippine embassies and consulates. Originally, the registration period would only be until 31 August 2006. In the middle of the same month, the COMELEC-DFA-POEA registration center at the POEA was opened and the COMELEC-DFA-MIAA registration center at the OWWA lounge of Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) began its operations in February of this year. Both the local registration centers catered to departing overseas Filipino workers.

     To capture the seafarers, the Commission likewise established linkage with the NYK-Shipping Lines so that we are able to register them during the pre-departure orientation seminars (PDOS).

     We are glad to report that as of 23 August 2006, we are able to generate 104,688 registrants from the two local registration centers and around the world. Of the total, more than 65% registered at the POEA and the NAIA.

     After the recent ruling of the Honorable Supreme Court in in the case of Loida Nicolas-Lewis, et al. vs. COMELEC (G.R. No. 162759) , the Commission en Banc promulgated Comelec Resolution No. 7694 which effectively extends the registration of overseas absentee voters until 30 September 2006. In the same Resolution, the Commission provided that dual citizens need not sign the Affidavit of Intent portion of the application form to become an overseas absentee voter.

     Recently, some of our friends from the different non-governmental organizations and the private sector based in the USA that had helped us since the initial implementation of the Overseas Absentee Voting Law (OAVL) in 2003 came up with an online petition and a Resolution requesting that the Commission extends the registration period anew until 30 November 2006.

     Much as we would like to do so to accommodate those who would like to be enfranchised especially the dual citizens, we cannot however extend the registration period further due to related pre-election activities that the Commission has to strictly observe prior to the conduct of the election period at the Posts. Please note that election overseas is for a period and not for only one (1) day. We have devised a timeline to observe and courses of action to be undertaken prior to election period.

     Registration activities do not stop on the actual registration itself. Comelec Resolution No. 7694 provides that the last date of hearing to process application forms shall be on 21 November 2006. Presumably, this will give ample time for the Commission, through the Committee on Overseas Absentee Voting (COAV) to prepare the National Registry of Overseas Absentee Voters (NROAV) which in simple terms is the mother list of overseas absentee voters and the Certified List of Overseas Absentee Voters (CLOAV) which on the other hand is the list of voters on a country per country and Post by Post basis. A separate list of seafarer-voters will also be prepared for purposes of the May 14, 2007 Senatorial and Party-List Elections.

     Another major activity of the COAV is the preparation and printing of the Overseas Absentee Voters' Registration Record (OAVRR) that includes the printing of the voters' IDs. This is also taken much consideration of in our schedule.

     Most importantly, the Commission needs sufficient time to draft the voting, counting and canvassing instructions, DFA personnel training and the voting paraphernalia.

     Please be guided by the schedule of activities below with respect to overseas absentee voting activities.

     With respect to the clamor for an expanded coverage of voting by mail, we are pleased to inform all concerned that the Commission will be adopting an expanded voting by mail for purposes of the May 14, 2007 Senatorial and Party-List Elections. Using the three (3) qualifications prescribed by law, we are in the process of finalizing a list of DFA-recommended Posts where voting by mail may be utilized. We shall cross-check this list with the Philippine Postal Corporation (Philpost) and thereafter, come up with a final list of countries and/or Posts where voting by mail will be adopted.

     Again, since the Commission will adopt voting by mail more extensively in 2007, with more reason that an extension of the overseas absentee voters' registration period beyond the 30 September 2006 deadline is not feasible. We are currently in negotiations with Philpost to streamline the processes in voting by mail. We would need the list of voters at the soonest possible time so that we may be able to send out the ballots in time for the voting period which will start on April 14, 2006.

     In view of the above, we invoke the greater understanding of the petitioners in reconsidering their appeal for a further extension of the OAV registration period. We however enjoin the others who have not registered to go to the nearest Post or the POEA and NAIA registration centers to register until 30 September 2006.