After showing enthusiasm in the overseas absentee voting registrations, Filipinos in Hong Kong and Singapore will be the first to experience the automated polls in the upcoming 2010 national elections.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) agreed to spend P40 million to conduct the polls, after they signed a memorandum of agreement on the matter Friday.
At least 606,414 registered overseas absentee voters worldwide - including the 128,272 in Hong Kong and Singapore - are expected to participate in the overseas absentee voting from April 10 to May 10, 2010.
DFA Undersecretary for Special and Ocean Concerns Rafael Seguis and Comelec Commissioner signed the agreement at the DFA office in Pasay City.
Seguis chairs DFA-Overseas Absentee Voting Secretariat (DFA-OAVS), while Velasco chairs the Comelec Committee in Overseas Absentee Voting.
According to Seguis, Hong Kong and Singapore were chosen because they are nearest to the Philippines, among other foreign service posts that obtained the highest number of registrants.
“It will be easier and will cost less to send technical people to Hong Kong and Singapore, than to Los Angeles or Dubai," Seguis added. “We expect speedy, transparent, and accurate count of votes in these posts."
Other than the Philippine posts in Hong Kong and Singapore, other embassies and consulates will continue to employ the traditional overseas absentee voting for the 2010 elections, such personal voting and voting by mail.
Under the MOA, DFA and Comelec will share the expenses in the conduct of the automated elections in Hong Kong and Singapore.
An estimated P40 million will be spent, to be equally funded by the two government agencies.
Seguis said the goal is to have automated election system in all Philippine Embassies and Consulates all over the world. - JHU, GMANews.TV, November 27, 2009
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