Phuilippine election commission allows media to vote early in 2013 mid-term polls

Manila: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) voted 5-1 in an en-banc decision to allow media men to vote early in the mid-term elections in 2013, a TV report said.

“This is a historic vote and decision. so many journalists and media personnel have been waiting for this (decision),” Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento told ABS-CBN News.

Mediamen, estimated to number 200,000 will be treated like overseas Filipino workers who have bene allowed to vote ahead of scheduled elections in the Philippines.

Many media practitioners fail to vote because they are assigned in different places while working on election days.

“It is a welcome development. We all know the nature of media work which is very mobile and can’t be compared to a regular office worker,” said Congerssman Ben Evardone, a former journalist.

“It would give media men a chance to exercise their right to suffrage,” said Evardone.

Mediamen should be allowed to vote ahead of the time they are sent to cover the elections in places where they are not registered as voters , said Congressman Angelo Palmones, a former media man.

The petition was filed earlier by election lawyer Romulo Macalintal.

Only Election Commissioner Christian Robert Lim disagreed with the en banc decision, explaining that the two houses of Congress must pass a bill that grants media men to vote ahead of scheduled elections.

Comelec’s decision constituted an “impermissible usurpation” of the legislative power of Congress, argued Lim.

Legal experts said that Comelec should elevate its decision to the two houses of Congress which will pass a bill to enable Comelec’s decision.