Abu Dhabi, April 08: Filipinos who registered last year for the upcoming national election will not receive their voter’s ID cards prior to the election period. However, they can still vote provided they present other valid documents, said an official at the Philippine Embassy.
According to consul-general Adelio Cruz, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is currently “purging” the voters’ list as some Filipinos have registered more than once.
COMELEC would only issue voters’ ID cards to the new registrants as soon as the list is thoroughly scrutinised and this would be after the April 10 to May10 election period for overseas absentee voters (OAV).
Cruz attributed the discrepancy to “misinformation” rather than an intention to “commit fraud”.
The COMELEC previously announced that those who registered in 2003 but failed to vote in the 2004 and 2007elections have to re-register, however, others who voted in 2007 have re-registered which resulted in multiple entries. For the 2010 national election, COMELEC sent the missions abroad a Certified List of Overseas Absentee Voters (CLOAV) which included the names of those without voter’s ID but has registered last year.
In Abu Dhabi, the list contained 17,041 names from Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Western Region.
There are currently more than 400,000 Filipinos in the UAE and an estimated 90,000 are residing in the Abu Dhabi emirate. There will be three polling precincts in Abu Dhabi, two at the embassy and another one at the Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO).
Registration starts from 8.30am-4.30pm including Fridays and Saturdays from April 10 to May 9.
On May 10, the national election day, voting ends at 2pm here at the same time as COMELEC closes in Manila.
Voters in the emirate can cast their ballots at any of the two locations.
“All three precincts will have the COMELEC’s CLOAV and we will compare list every hour to ensure that there will be no duplication of votes,” Cruz told Khaleej Times.
Cruz urged new registrants to check with the embassy prior to arrival to ensure that their names are included in the CLOAV. Voters can enquire by calling on 02-6415922 or meet Fe Abina, cultural officer or Vic Española, administrative officer.
At the precinct, voters need to present their COMELEC voter’s ID.
For new registrants, they need to present their original passport, seaman’s book or labour card.
For the 2010 national elections, qualified Filipinos will vote for the President, Vice-President, 12 Senators and one Party-List representative. “Vote for the country’s next leader. One vote can change the course of a nation’s destiny,” said Cruz.
–Agencies