Absentee voting suspended in Damascus, Tripoli, Baghdad; good to go in other posts

Published April 12, 2019 3:52pm 

By TINA PANGANIBAN-PEREZ, GMA News

The Commission on Elections has suspended overseas absentee voting in three posts because of prevailing local conditions.
Comelec spokesperson Director James Jimenez identified the three places as Damascus in Syria, Tripoli in Libya and Baghdad in Iraq.
"Ang resetting naman is kapag wala na yung problema. Eh, hindi naman kaagad-agad nawawala yung problema," Jimenez said as regards when the absentee voting would push through in the said embassies.
"Ang usual rule of thumb natin diyan is 60 days or when the reason for the suspension has ceased," he added.
There are a total of 83 foreign posts where overseas absentee voting will be held starting on Saturday, April 13 until election day on May 13. 
“We are ready to go,” Jimenez said. 
At least 1.8 million registered Filipino voters working or living abroad are expected to cast their ballots during the 30-day window.
"Masasabi ko na handang-handa na po ang Comelec, especially ang Office for Overseas Voting para sa botohan na maguumpisa na nga po bukas," Director Elaiza David from the department told GMA News' Balitanghali.
While she declared that all overseas polling posts were ready, David admitted they may still encounter a few "challenges" to the overseas voting system, including the possible delay in the delivery of some ballots to voters.
"Kasi alam natin 'yan na ang mga balota po ng mga kababayan natin ay dide-deliver pa lang po sa kanila 'yan or may nagsisimula na po, so 'yung maari baka hindi po nila matanggap on time or hindi rin nila, or baka may possibility po na magkaroon nga ng delay," she said.
"Sa ibang mga deliveries naman, ang masasabi namin ay na-deliver na po namin ang lahat ng machines ng balota at ibang election paraphernalia na kakailanganin nila," she added.
She also said the turnout can always be smaller than expected as some registered overseas Filipino voters will not be able to cast their ballots.
"Marami po sa kanila ay hindi pa siguro well-informed kaya isa po yan kung bakit maaaring hindi masyadong mataas (ang turnout), maaring isa sa mga challenges 'yan," David said.
"Meron din po sa kanila na may mga amo daw po sila na hindi sila pinapayagang bumoto yung iba naman po, medyo malayo ang kanilang residence sa post or sa mga embahada kung saan sila dapat bumoto," she added. —NB, GMA News

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