TEAM PNoy senatorial candidate Edgardo “Sonny” Angara called on Filipinos living and working abroad to participate in the month-long overseas absentee voting (OAV) which will start on April 13 until May 13.
“I hope this year the voter turnout overseas will improve. I think among the factors that led to previous elections’ poor voter turnout was the lack of voter’s education,” Angara said.
The lawmaker cited the low voter turnout in the 2010 elections, where only 153,323 or 25 percent of 589,830 registrants actually voted.
“I am asking our friends from media, embassies and consulates to intensify their OAV information dissemination to educate and encourage Filipinos abroad to go out and vote. We, at home, can also help with the education and awareness campaign through social media which can reach our family and friends abroad,” he added.
This year, the number of migrant voters increased to 988,384. Filipinos in Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are set to use the automated system due to the large concentration of Filipino voters.
Another complaint of voters during the previous polls was the limited number and inaccessibility of voting centers, most of which were based in embassies and consulates. Filipino voters reportedly had difficulty reaching the voting centers because the embassies and consulates were too far, or because they had limited time and resources.
Filipinos overseas were said to have lost interest in voting as well as they see the electoral process tainted with fraud and corruption due to the previous administration’s election scandal.
“I am positive that we will have a better turnout this coming election because of the renewed faith and confidence our good president has achieved. Pinoys abroad should be reminded that absentee voting is an important political exercise so that they can elect candidates who will support and continue fighting for President PNoy’s reforms,” Angara said.