Good evening Usec Seguis!

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Chairman Brilliantes is re-echoing the same sentiments by the Senators as early as 2003 when OAV was still being deliberated at the Lower House and Senate when the issue of security was raised by Sen. Chiz Escudero using manual registration and voting at that time. The OFW’s have proven him incorrect.

Technology may not be perfect but the American expats and other WCN’s living and working in Saudi Arabia and other regions of the Middle East positively used internet registration and voting without a fuss or glitch because they are responsible voters using a reliable system.

Generally, the OFW's are the most responsible, sophisticated and critical thinking voters (being the cream of the crop)  which cannot be bought in terms of color of money, bribe, intimidation or anything that grossly violates the Omnibus Election Code>  we have proven that during 2004, 2007 and 2010 elections.

If there were glitches in the past these were plain procedural lapses which were reduced or eliminated in subsequent national elections since 2004 as a living witness I was deputized by COMELEC as Member of the Special Board of Canvassers (SBOC) for KSA.

A unique passport number and a voters ID for each OFW voter is entitled to only one vote> any duplicated ID number could be nullified by the system at once. PCOS machines were used by COMELEC in selected countries
in the past and it went well from the voting day to canvassing of results. 

Wala pong OFW ang may gusto na  dayain ang kanilang boto at ipaglalaban at maninindigan po kami dito mula sa presinto ng mga embassies and consulates hanggang sa final canvassing sa Kongreso.

Why reincarnate the issue of security of our overseas votes when the same question we should be asking COMELEC how will it safeguard the sanctity of our votes comes national canvassing? Hindi po ba nilulumot na sa SC ang issue against the reliability of PCOS machines which until now the voting public is still awaiting for its ruling?

In the age of 4G technology there is no space for error and COMELEC should better consult experts like Ike Seneres of PCSO who previously worked with NCR and other well meaning NGOs/CSOs who worked hard to protect the interest of the voters.

We have a pool of IT experts around should COMELEC decides to equipped themselves with "political resolve and will" to pilot test INTERNET VOTING especially for KSA being a rich vote country.

We feel sad today as we struggle hard to win over global issues for the OFWs like..

a. MC 08 of MIAA IPSC integration of terminal fee with airline tickets comes Nov. 1, 2014 - the only concession the #NOTO550# Coalition got so far with DOTC Sec. Abaya and after engaging with POEA,OWWA, Congress and with DOLE/POEA key officials this afternoon.

We think that DFA should be on board on this issue since
at this early some consulates and embassies are already
circulating MC 08 of MIAA while more than 200,000 of our
compatriots in the social media are angrily complaining of this "additional burden and exaction" especially the coming
peak season for our balik manggagawa's coming home beginning Nov. to March.

b. DBM Sec. Abad taking out the 90M OAV fund from the GAA which may  paralyze our embassies and consulates OAV preparations  for 2016 national elections.

c. and now COMELEC's  apprehension of INTERNET voting throwing back the issue with Congress whereby the amended OAV law already gave COMELEC the mandate to do it as we have been expecting. 

We thank you for your support for all these years of "politically empowering the Overseas Filipinos".

regards

ka rashid
Co-convenor
Intl. Coalition on Overseas Filipinos
Voting Rights (ICOOFVR)