FEB.

12, 2012 DATE

NR # 2677B
REF. NO.

Bill amends the absentee voting law

Two House committees have approved a substitute bill amending Republic Act 9189 or the Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003 to allow more overseas Filipinos worldwide to exercise their right to vote in Philippine elections. The still unnumbered consolidated measure or the proposed Overseas Voting Act of 2012 was approved by the House Committees on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms and Foreign Affairs presided over by Rep. Andres Salvacion, Jr. (3rd District, Leyte) and Rep. Al Francis Bichara (2nd District, Albay), respectively. The technical working group, now finalizing the committee report containing the consolidated version of three separate but similar bills for submission to the Rules Committee, is headed by Rep. Rodel Batocabe (Party-list, Ako Bicol) Salvacion, who presided for Chairman Elpidio Barzaga (Lone District, City of Dasmarias) who is a member of the House impeachment prosecution team, said the amendments will allow Filipino overseas voters to not only vote for the presidential and midterm elections, but also in all national referenda and plebiscites. One of the salient features of the bill is the deletion of the disqualifications provisions which require an immigrant or permanent resident to execute an affidavit upon registration declaring that he or she shall resume actual physical residence in the Philippines not later than three years from the approval of his or her registration. Under the bill, Filipinos with dual citizenship may no longer renounce their other allegiance when they decide to vote under the Overseas Voting Act of 2012. Salvacion said the deletion of the restrictive provisions would enfranchise more overseas Filipinos and give them a stronger voice in the democratic exercise of choosing their leaders. The registration for overseas voting is more accessible to Filipinos worldwide by way of setting up field and mobile registration centers by the posts concerned, Salvacion said. Salvacion said the bill resolves the issue of shortened registration period, stringent voting requirements, limited voting facilities, limited days-off at work which prevented many from registering and cost considerations, among others. Under the bill, there will also be pre-departure registration that shall be conducted in accredited government agencies or facilities to be determined by the Commission on

FEB. 12, 2012 DATE

NR # 2677B
REF. NO.

Elections. OFWs may file their application personally at any post or at designated registration centers in the Philippines approved by the Comelec and shall submit themselves for live capture of their biometrics. The bill provides for three modes of voting, namely: personal voting; voting by mail and by other means as may be allowed under Section 52(1) of Batas Pambansa Blg. 881, as amended or the Omnibus election Code. Likewise, a new provision is to be inserted mandating the Comelec to explore and adopt other more efficient, reliable and secure modes or systems, whether paper-based or electronic-based technology or such other latest technology available for onsite and remote registration and elections. Aside from authorizing the Comelec to establish an Office for Overseas Voting (OOV) tasked specifically to oversee and supervise the implementation of the Overseas Voting Law, another provision provides for the creation of the Department of Foreign Affairs Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS) based at the DFAs home office. The bill is a consolidation of House Bill 3001 authored by Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo; House Bill 3023 filed by Rep. Salvador Escudero III; and House Bill 3201 authored by Reps. Walden Bello, Bichara, Deputy Speaker Maria Isabelle Climaco, Rufus Rodriguez, Edcel Lagman, Rexlon Gatchalian, Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II, Arlene Bag-ao and Rodel M. Batocabe (Party-list, Ako Bicol). (30) dpt