Dubai: Filipino expatriates in the UAE who plan to vote for the Philippine presidential elections in May but were disqualified have four days left next week to make an appeal.
Registered Filipino voters whose registration status became deactivated for failing to vote for two consecutive elections have four days from December 6 to 9 to appeal their status. Manila’s Commission on Elections (Comelec) extended the registration period for overseas voters from October 31 to December 9.
“We hope that our compatriots will take advantage of their right to vote, especially now that the presidential race is becoming more interesting. Just like what the Comelec chairman always says, each vote matters, especially those overseas,” Deputy Consul-General Giovanno Palec told Gulf News.
Only voters with active registration status in the missions in UAE can vote in Dubai and Abu Dhabi during the monthlong polls from April 9 to May 6, 2016.
A total of 1,400,767 expats registered in various foreign service posts according to the Department of Foreign Affairs — Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS). Some 210,645 of these are from the UAE.
Palec said there is no way to determine the number of deactivated voters. But those who did not vote in 2007 and 2010 should check their status on the Comelec website (See link: http://www.comelec.gov.ph/?r=AboutCOMELEC/OverseasAbsenteeVoting/CLOAV )
Palec said applicants must appear at the consulate between December 6 to 9 from 8am to 5pm and bring their passports and completed forms, that can be downloaded from the Comelec website.
