Recently in Absentee Vote Category

YESTERDAY, I managed to extricate myself from a business lunch meeting so that I can cast my vote. I arrived at the Philippine Embassy (Singapore) at around 2:15 p.m., only to be told that I was not on the list of overseas absentee voters (OAVs) with returned ballots. I registered as an OAV in 2005, and my name was on the 2005 OAV list, I told the poor, hapless embassy staff, who had to endure the wrath of a number of OAVs like me because they were miraculously "deleted" by the Commission on Elections from the master list. I told her in no uncertain terms that I am here to do my duty for my country and I will not leave until I cast my vote, so please be kind enough to give me a ballot quick! While she went off to find a ballot for me, most of the OAVs that were waiting outside were lamenting our situation. One woman said the government is getting worse, and as usual things are topsy-turvy. We were all in agreement that something must be done to save the Philippines from this present administration, whose cheating tactics has crossed foreign shores. The "mailing of ballots" system that they implemented was mired with discrepancies. I do not understand which list the Comelec used when they sent out the ballots to OAVs in Singapore. They certainly never used the 2005 list, because I never got my voter's kit. After a while, the embassy staff managed to give me a kit that was destined for a seafarer (I work as a journalist here in Singapore). Immediately I sat down to write my choices. Halfway through writing my choices, I noticed that the embassy actually dispensed of the "shields" that provided privacy for the voters, and that some voters actually sat together in one or two tables and dictated their choices to one another. In short, nagkokopyahan! And I have to be blunt; the choices are mostly from the GO. For that brief moment, I realized that marami na palang OFW na mulat na sa mga nangyayari sa bansa, and that in their own way, they took time out from their work just to vote (kahit wala sa listahan), because they care for the future of the country. Sana mabasa ito ng mga mananalo sa halalan, at sana ma-realize nila that malaki ang utang nila sa taong bayan, at obligasyon nilang bayaran ang utang na ito… with interest.

THE SECOND week of the ongoing Overseas Absentee Voting ended this evening. While there was a slight increase in the number of voters who cast their votes this week compared to last [week] at the embassy here in Riyadh, still it is much lower than we expected. But the sight of three company buses transporting voters to the embassy was a good sign, and we hope the remaining two weeks will really see more company buses bringing in more voters.

Ask anybody, especially government officials, what they think is the reason why the turnout of voters has been very low, [and] the most common answers you will get are that: many overseas Filipinos think that since this election is not a presidential election it is not so important; many think that it is useless to cast their votes because these will not be counted anyway; and many say "nakakatamad naman kasing pumunta sa embassy." At one point I did believe that maybe those are the valid reasons. But this afternoon, I realized that those earlier statements may not be the reasons at all... In relation to our Go Out and Vote campaign here in Riyadh, we designed a campaign ad that centered on why we should cast our votes. The message was conveyed by the following lines that were printed on the poster/flyer:

Ipaabot ang nagkakaisang tinig Gamitin ang karapatang marinig Ang Boto mo, pahalagahan mo. We had the poster designed by a young OFW for free, but the printing of the four-color poster cost us SR 2.50 each for the A4 size, and SR 50 for the A3 size. By Thursday night we had the number of posters we needed ready. This morning we started placing those posters in areas around Riyadh where many Filipinos usually hang out especially during weekends. In one supermarket the Filipino cashier commented: "Nag-umpisa na pala ang botohan?" In one restaurant one employee asked, "Taga-Comelec po kayo?," while a jolly barker in the fastfood center said, "Huwag kayong magalala, kabayan, akong bahala dyan," referring to the poster that we stuck on a suggestion box. When I heard the supermarket cashier say, "nag-umpisa na pala ang botohan," I asked myself how many Filipinos like him are not aware that the overseas absentee voting period already started two weeks ago; maybe a hundred, or maybe a couple of thousands? Could this not be the main reason why there is a low turnout of voters? What really made me smile was the question from the waiter at the Thai restaurant. When asked, "taga-Comelec po kayo?" we simply said we are not from Comelec, but are from various OFW organizations. But he's got a point. Bakit nga ba kami ang nagdidikit ng mga OAV posters na yon at hindi ang mga taga Political section ng embahada? [Comelec] Commissioner [Florentino] Tuason [Jr., chairman of the Committee on Overseas Absentee Voting,] proudly announced during the OAV Forum at Intramuros last March that the OAV cost per voter this year compared to that of 2004 is very very much lower. That of course was great for the budget department. But given the experience of 2004, the Comelec could have spent some amount on information materials like posters and flyers. If posters were sent to the Posts a month before the start of the voting period, and the Posts were able to distribute these to the major companies and community organizations, as well as display some in areas where Filipinos usually hang out -- like what we did today, chances are the turnout could be better than what we are witnessing now.

But if Comelec cannot even send postal voting materials and voters ID on time, can we expect them to be able to think of those little, yet very important, things?

It [makes my heart] bleed when I think of how little the government cares about us who are sacrificing to be away from home just to [let] the Philippines survive. Perhaps when the bleeding stops, time will have been ripe. But for now, today is just another day.

ON SUNDAY, the day off for most overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Hong Kong, Defensor and Zubiri went to the former crown colony Ââ€Å""not to campaign" but to inform OFWs there of their accomplishments.

My golly, how do you call that? Social Studies? Or Arts and Sciences? Or rather Math lessons? Or what else.. Current Events? They should be barred! -- Antonio Costales, San Fernando City, La Union (via e-mail)

THIS is a reaction to the disappointment of [Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin] Abalos. Sir, the message is very clear, the OFWs here are busy with the more basic things -- that is, the welfare of their respective families. Charity begins at home. Personally, I did not register because I do not want to be counted as among those who place people with their own personal agenda in any position in our government. It would have been better, if the Philippines would be run by common sense, rather than spend for elections which would place politicians without an iota of the simplest sense. After all, those who have the money will be sworn in to office, so what is the use of casting my vote? It is a waste of time. While your office is doing everything to make things sensible, what will come out [will be] senseless results. In the Philippines, elections are all about money. Period. End of story. -- Edi Managaytay, Elmhurst, New York (via e-mail)

A FILIPINA in Koror, Palau is the first overseas absentee voter to cast a ballot, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. Here's an excerpt from INQUIRER.net reporter Veronica Uy's Breaking News story:

In a text message, DFA spokesman Claro Cristobal identified the early bird as Nicanora Maglinis, 56, originally from Maasin, Southern Leyte, who personally went to the embassy in Koror and vote at 9 a.m. (or 8 a.m. Philippine time). Citing the report from Koror, Cristobal said Maglinis had been an overseas Filipino worker in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for 18 years before moving to Koror, where she has been staying for the last 10 years.