OFW Party List Rep. Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino sponsored the Unnumbered Substitute Bill in substitution of House Bill 6770 or the Internet Voting Bill during the Committee on Appropriations meeting today, February 13, 2024. The bill was approved by the Committee on Appropriations thereby finalizing the process at the committee level.
The substitute bill is based on Rep. Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino’s House Bill 6770, which was approved by the Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, chaired by Rep. Maximo Dalog, Jr., last August 2023.
House Bill No. 6770 or the Internet Voting bill is a response to the long-standing clamor of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) for mechanisms enabling them to exercise their right of suffrage while abroad. The bill aims to support the Commission on Elections (Comelec) initiative to introduce internet registration and voting for OFWs by providing a legal basis for it.
During her sponsorship remarks, she acknowledged Comelec’s authority to implement ‘other means of voting’ under existing law, but argued that a specific statutory basis through legislation would provide clarity and avoid potential questions of interpretation.
