HINAMON ng liderato ng Senado ang Commission on Elections (Comelec) na tuparin ang pangarap ng overseas Filipinos na makapagparehistro at makaboto online o sa ilalim ng Overseas Absentee Voting Act (OAVA) para sa 2016 national elections.
Ang nasabing batas ay iniakda ni Senate Pres. Franklin Drilon gamit ang internet noong 2003.
“It is high time that the Comelec adopt all the necessary technologies that would empower the about 10 to 12 million overseas Filipinos to use the internet to register and vote in 2016 and onwards, without leaving their jobsites or residences abroad,” wika ni Drilon.
Una nang nagpahayag ng pagkadismaya ang senador sa mababang turnout ng OAV registrants lalo na ng aktuwal na OAV voters bagamat napakalaking pondo ang nailaan paras sa OAV sa mga nakalipas na eleksiyon.
Isinisisi ang mababang OAV registration at voting turnout sa requirement na kailangan pang personal na magpunta ng mga overseas Filipinos sa itinalagang OAV centers sa mga embahada at konsulada ng Pilipinas.
“Overseas Filipinos risk their lives even in strife-torn countries like Libya not only for their families, but also to prop up our economy with their over US$20 billion in remittances each year,” saad pa nito.
“We should make it easier for them to vote and to participate in all democratic processes by utilizing the power of the internet. Technological advances should already be utilized to surmount all overseas voting challenges in the past. The bigger voice of overseas Filipinos must be heard now!”
Ayon sa solon, ang online registration at online voting ay isinasagawa na sa mahigit 20 bansa, kabilang ang Amerika, France, Germany, Italy at Australia.
Nanawagan si Drilon sa Comelec at Comelec Advisory Council na mag-ugnayan upang matiyak ang implementasyon ng OAV online registration at voting sa lalong madaling panahon.
Ibinigay ng solon ang ibayong suporta ng Senado upang mapabilis ang implementasyon nito.
“The Senate is behind the Comelec in making sure that there are no more disenfranchised overseas Pinoys come 2016.
Let’s make it happen!” aniya. Linda Bohol