OFW party-list Rep. Marissa del Mar Magsino has lauded and supporter the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for its resolve to push through with the internet voting for Overseas Filipino Workers for the 2025 elections.
In a recent statement made by Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia, he confirmed that internet-voting will be an alternative mode for our OFWs in the midterm elections.
Comelec previously cited Section 16.11 of RA. No. 9189 and Section 28 of RA. No. 10590 as legal basis for their initiatives on internet-voting.
“We fully support the innovations being taken by Comelec and respect their stand that current laws allow for internet voting. However, to prevent any legal impediment in the future, I will still diligently pursue our legislative efforts in passing House Bill 6770 or the Electronic Registration and Voting Act,” Magsino said.
Through numerous dialogues and committee meetings, all the stakeholders, including Comelec, have worked to refine the legal framework encapsulated in House Bill 6770, ensuring a transparent, secure, and efficient electoral process for overseas voters via internet voting.
“The bill has already made headway in the House Committee of Suffrage and Electoral Reforms. It is has now been referred to the Committee on Appropriations before finalization at the committee level. With the support of the House leadership, I am confident my colleagues will see the merit of the proposal and approve it,” Magsino further said.
“We are simultaneously exploring parallel efforts as we strongly believe that voting, or the right of suffrage, is an essential element of democracy. This should be made widely accessible to all OFWs, especially since we tout them as the modern heroes who bring in more than USD 36.163 Billion of remittances to the country,” she concluded.
