Drilon calls for Online Overseas Absentee Voting for 2016

Senate President Franklin Drilon wants the government’s Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) program to be made available online, allowing OFWs to vote at the upcoming elections through the use of the Internet.

The Senate President’s call for an online OVA is in response to the low number of overseas Filipinos that voted in the past national elections. According to Drilon, only 2.5% or around 200,000 of the estimated 10-12 million have voted. Not to mention that the Comelec has spent huge funds to make OAV possible.

Drilon believes that through the use of the Internet it would encourage OFWs to practice their right to suffrage as they can do it at the comfort of their homes or workplaces.

“It is high time that the Comelec adopt all the necessary technologies that would empower about 10 to 12 million overseas Filipinos to use the Internet to register and vote in 2016 and onwards,” said Drilon

“Online absentee registration and voting is already practiced in about 20 countries, including the US, France, Germany, Italy and Australia. So, I see no reason anymore why it can’t be done in the Philippines as well.”

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