Overseas ballots still unsent in some posts due to lack of stamps —Comelec


By TINA PANGANIBAN-PEREZ, GMA News
A little more than two weeks before the elections on May 13, a good number of Filipinos abroad have yet to receive their official ballots for overseas absentee voting from the diplomatic posts in their respective countries.
Election commissioner Rowena Guanzon cited the delay in the passage of the P3.757-trillion national budget for the delay in purchase of enough postal stamps for the official ballots.
"We have to fund more posts para sa stamps. Although we have estimated it, may mga kulang po talaga. Kaya may mga balota pa pong hindi pa name-mail kasi nga kulang yung pondo sa postage," Guanzon told GMA News.
"As you know, we had to make do with a reenacted budget up to a certain time," she added.
There are two ways of voting for those who registered for overseas absentee voting.
One way is for the voter to go to the Philippine embassy or consulate to cast his or her vote.
The other is through the mail, wherein the embassy or the consulate sends the official ballot to the voter, who then mails it back to the diplomatic post.
Comelec Spokesperson Director James Jimenez explained that it was the Department of Foreign Affairs that would provide funding and purchase the stamps, and that Comelec would later on reimburse the DFA.
"Ang talagang arrangement natin is reimbursement. But I think the funding for that on the DFA side, medyo hindi humabol," Jimenez told GMA News.
The Comelec en banc has authorized the release of $50,000, equivalent to P2.6 million. This is in addition to P50 million already released.
"Ang solution ng Comelec is to authorize na mag-advance kami ng pera para mabilhan ng postage. Masolusyonan yon by allowing the posts, in some case 'yung posts mismo ang mag-aadvance ng pera," Jimenez said.
"Tapos ire-reimburse ng Comelec. Again, noong 2016, reimbursement talaga ang style natin kaya hindi tayo nag-provide ng pondo upfront," he added.
Both Guanzon and Jimenez expressed confidence that the official ballots would be received by voters abroad, and would be mailed back to the embassies and consulate in time for the last day of overseas absentee voting on May 13. —NB, GMA News

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