Comelec already sent advisories to embassies on voting hours for OAV —Casquejo

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has already sent advisories to Philippine Embassies abroad to implement the standard rule on the voting hours for overseas absentee voters.

"May advisory na po tayo sa ating mga embahada, sa ating mga posts, na meron po tayong voting hours. So at the end of the voting hours kapag merong botante pa po na nandoon. We follow the rule [those who are] within 30 meters tuloy pa rin ang botohan," Comelec Commissioner Marlon Casquejo said in a press conference Monday when asked about Senator Imee Marcos' call to extend the voting hours at Philippine embassies and consulates.

(We have already sent advisory to our embassies and foreign posts about the voting hours. At the end of the voting hours, they will still accommodate the voters who are falling in line. We follow the rule that those within 30 meters from the embassy will still be allowed to vote.)

Casquejo further explained that the Philippine embassies also need to adhere to the voting hours that were allowed by the host countries.

"Kaya lang (but) we really also need to balance our host country. Kasi kapag (if) our host country, they will not allow such kind of extension, then we really have to abide," he said.

"But as a general rule, may advisory na po tayo at saka during sa mga training po natin sa ating mga [Special Board of Election Inspectors], alam na nila na kapag every day in the voting period kapag may botante pa po na pumupunta o nandoon mismo, kahit umabot na sila ng 5 or 6 ng hapon, tuloy pa rin ang ating botohan. So wala po tayong problema doon and we sent another advisory regarding that one," Casquejo said.

(But as a general rule, we already have an advisory and during the training of our SBEIs, they were informed that voters who are lining up until 5 or 6 in the evening could still vote. So we have no problem with that and we sent another advisory regarding that one.)

In a statement, Marcos, who chairs the Senate committee on electoral reforms and people's participation, urged the authorities to extend the office hours at the Philippine embassies to ensure that overseas Filipino workers could cast their votes.

Her call was prompted by the reported "setbacks" on the first day of voting in Hong Kong, United States, and New Zealand.

“Let’s not wait for a last-minute scramble to implement remedies. Thousands of OFWs will end up being disenfranchised,” Marcos said.

“The immediate solution is to extend voting hours at our embassies and consulates, while the logistical challenges of setting up more voting precincts still have to be sorted out by the Comelec,” she added.

The lawmaker noted that government offices in other countries do not have consistent voting hours, as some only operate until mid-day and others are extending until night time.

“The Comelec and DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) must review the math of accommodating OFWs in different areas daily and within the one-month voting period allotted. It’s also not too late to ramp up an information campaign so that OFWs know their precinct assignments,” Marcos said.

The overseas voting for Filipinos officially started on April 10.

Filipino voters who applied for this voting option can cast their ballots until May 9, 2022 or the election day in the Philippines.—AOL, GMA News