Go, Bato, Imee take lead among Filipino voters in UAE

Dubai: Almost a thousand last-minute voters flocked to the Philippine Consulate-General in Dubai to cast their votes on the last day of the midterm elections on Monday.

*These are based on 22 election returns in Dubai, partial and unofficial.

Gulf News learnt that as of 9pm on Monday, counting of election returns in the UAE would continue overnight as poll officials must follow procedures.

Some 988 last-minute voters managed to make it to the polls in Dubai.

This brought the total voter turnout to 28,487 or 13.57 per cent of the 209,862 registered voters in Dubai and the northern emirates during the 31-day elections in Dubai.

The midterm elections ended on Monday at 2pm UAE time, coinciding with the closing of the polls in the Philippines.

The percentage of Filipino voter turnout in Dubai this year doubled from 6.35 per cent or 3,545 of the 55,842 registered voters in the midterm elections in 2013.

On Monday, voter turnout at the Philippine embassy in Abu Dhabi was much higher than Dubai's, at 14.48 per cent, or 15,783 out of 109,000 registered voters.

Sales and marketing executive Reynald Duerme scrambled to the gate seconds before the clock struck 2pm in time for the closing of the polling precincts.

“I asked my boss to let me leave work early and he did. I’m glad I made it. It’s my responsibility as a Filipino to vote and that’s what I intended to do,” Duerme, 31, told Gulf News.

Among those who also came on the last day was Arnie Trinidad, a music teacher.

“I honestly thought the polls would close at 6pm UAE time, not Philippine time. When we reached the consulate five minutes before 2pm, I breathed a sigh of relief because we at least had a chance to exercise our right to suffrage.”

Milo Torres, an artist, said he intentionally cast his vote on the last day because it took him a while to complete his list of 12 senators and one party-list.

Consul-General Paul Raymund Cortes lauded the Filipinos who made time to participate in the polls during the monthlong exercise.

“We still had a good number of people who were very enthusiastic and had no qualms about braving the sun or the afternoon heat to come on their rest days to the consulate to cast their vote,” Cortes said.

He also thanked the 47 consulate staff and volunteers who worked for approximately 619 hours, including on weekends, to make the elections accessible to as many Filipinos as possible.

Officials expect to conclude the counting of election returns by late Monday night or early morning Tuesday.

Results will be sent to the Philippine Embassy for consolidation and then to the Commission on Elections in Manila.