No suspension of voter registration abroad: Comelec

On Monday, the Comelec announced that the voter registration in the country has been suspended effective until March 31 due to the coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19) threat. (File Photo By Elmer B. Domingo – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0)

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday said there is no suspension of voter registration in overseas posts.

“Paalala lang po tuloy ang ating registration sa overseas. Dito lang sa Philippines ang suspended ang registration until March 31 pero sa overseas registration natin tuloy-tuloy lang ang registration abroad (Just a reminder, our overseas registration is ongoing. The suspension is only here in the Philippines until March 31 but our registration abroad continues),” Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon, commissioner-in-charge of the Office for Overseas Voting (OFOV), said on her Facebook account.

She also urged Filipinos abroad to go to the Philippine embassy and consulate offices in the country where they are and have themselves register as overseas voters.

“Dito lang sa Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) ang suspended muna ang registration ng overseas voters natin na nandito sa Pilipinas. Kapag nandiyan kayo (sa) abroad, tuloy pa din (ang) voter registration (Here at the Department of Foreign Affairs, overseas registration is suspended for those who are here in the Philippines. But if you are in abroad, the voter registration is ongoing),” Guanzon added.

She added that the registration for overseas Filipinos at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration is also suspended.

On Monday, the Comelec announced that the voter registration in the country has been suspended effective until March 31 due to the coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19) threat.

The voter registration overseas started on Dec. 16, 2019 and will end on Sept. 30, 2021, for the May 2022 national and local polls.

The poll body is looking to have two million registered Filipino voters abroad in the next elections.

To date, there are some 1.3 million voters overseas.