Garcia to recommend to Comelec en banc to suspend voter registration in Israel --- By TINA PANGANIBAN-PEREZ, GMA Integrated News

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia wants to impose an indefinite suspension on the voter registration of Filipinos in Israel for the 2025 elections. In an ambush interview on Tuesday, Garcia said he will recommend this to the Comelec en banc on Wednesday. “Simula pa noong Linggo, nagsarado ang ating Philippine Embassy roon. Subalit base sa report sa atin kahapon ng embahada, nagbukas muli sila. Kaya lang tayo ay magre-recommend bukas sa commission en banc na baka pupuwede i-suspend muna indefinitely 'yung registration ng botante natin diyan sa Israel," Garcia said. (Our Philippine Embassy was closed since Sunday. However, based on the report of the embassy yesterday, they opened their office again. But we will recommend tomorrow to the commission en banc to suspend indefinitely the voter registration in Israel. "Mahirap po nating ipagbakasakali ang buhay ng ating mga kababayan ganu'ng hindi pa talaga naging maayos ang sitwasyon sa lugar,” he added. (It would be hard to risk the lives of our countrymen now that the situation there is no yet peaceful.) Voter registration for overseas voters for the 2025 elections started in December 2022 and will run for two years. When asked if the indefinite suspension will result in an extension for overseas registrants in Israel, Garcia replied, “Kung saka-sakali po titingnan natin. Tutal naman po, 'yung registration ng overseas ay dalawang taon. Simula pa noong nakaraang taon 'yan, December 12. At pagkatapos ay matatapos din po sa 2024. So kung sakali pang kailangang mag-extend dahil dito sa suspension, gagawin po natin.” (If we need to extend, we will look into that. The registration for overseas voters runs for two years. It started on December 12. Then it will be finished in 2024. So if an extension of registration is needed due to the suspension, we will do that.) Garcia said that so far, 2,000 new voters have registered in Israel. He believes the number will increase if internet voting for overseas absentee voting pushes through. The Comelec said that for the national and local elections (NLE) in 2022, there were 13,364 overseas Filipinos in Israel who are registered voters. Of this number, 7,871 or 59% cast their votes. "As of the July 17, 2023 Election Registration Board Hearing, there are 9,906 Active Overseas Filipino Registered Voters in the State of Israel," the poll body said. The situation in Israel became tense on Saturday after Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched the biggest attack on Israel in years, firing rockets and deploying gunmen to several Israeli towns. A “state of war alert” was issued by Israel’s Home Front Command thereafter. Israel said the Iran-backed group had declared war as its army confirmed fighting with militants in several Israeli towns and military bases near Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, vowed to retaliate. The death toll due to the attacks reached more than 1,500, according to a report by Reuters. Two Filipinos were injured, and around 38 Filipinos in Gaza sought repatriation. —KG, GMA Integrated News

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