Bilang ng mga bagong nakapagparehistro para makaboto, pumalo na sa 1.8-M
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00:00 Updates of voters registration and online voting for seafarers and overseas Filipino workers.
00:07 We will discuss this with Director John Rex Laudianco,
00:11 the spokesperson of the Commission on Elections or COMELEC.
00:14 Director Laudianco, good afternoon.
00:17 Good afternoon, Madam Minister and to all the viewers of Bago Pilipinas. Good afternoon.
00:23 We are joined by Asek Arnel Demesa of the Department of Agriculture. Director John.
00:29 Good afternoon.
00:30 Good afternoon, Asek.
00:32 What is our update on voters registration based on your monitoring?
00:37 How many registered for elections in the next year?
00:42 Based on our latest monitoring, the processed application of COMELEC is reaching 1,800,000.
00:51 And in this figure, almost 800,000 are our new voters.
00:57 We are also expecting that with the help of our internet voting,
01:01 more overseas Filipinos will register for the overseas voting in 2025.
01:07 Director, according to your data, which regions in the country are now having a high number of registrants?
01:16 Like before, the highest number is in our National Capital Region, followed by Region 4A and Cebu Region.
01:26 Those are the three regions that have the highest number of new voters,
01:31 as well as the number of applications that we are receiving,
01:35 like transfer, change or correction of entries, and reinstatement or registration as local voters for overseas.
01:44 When is the deadline for voters registration in the country,
01:50 and is it still the same deadline for overseas voters registration?
01:55 Yes. The deadline is the same. The deadline for registration is September 30, 2024, the last day of our voters registration.
02:06 It is the same whether you are local or overseas voters, it is until September 30.
02:13 Director John Rex, since we are talking about overseas voters registration,
02:19 how is the registration in other countries based on your monitoring?
02:24 If we can remember, in 2022, we have 1.6 million registered voters overseas.
02:32 But it's sad that less than 38 percent voted, around 600,000.
02:37 Now, since the registration, that number has decreased.
02:41 Before, 1.6 million, now it's more than 1.1 million because most of them were deactivated for not voting twice or more.
02:50 But the situation is getting better. Since we heard from our countrymen that there will be internet voting,
02:57 the registration is slowly increasing.
03:00 Now, our countrymen registered more than 100,000 overseas voters.
03:05 We expect that it will increase in the coming weeks.
03:10 Here in online voting that is being held by Comelec for midterm elections next year,
03:19 are we expecting its reliability and is it possible that there will be a high voter turnout abroad because of this?
03:28 First of all, we expect that internet voting will be the key.
03:34 Not only the increase in registration, but also our voter turnout.
03:38 When we surveyed our countrymen abroad, their number one reason why they didn't vote is because the embassy is far away,
03:45 the consulate is far away and they don't have time.
03:47 Even though they have been voting for 30 days, that is still their reason.
03:51 As for those who are far away, we are giving them a chance to mail vote.
03:56 We are sending them balotas, but they will say that the post office is far away and they cannot return the balota,
04:03 even if it is postage paid and free.
04:06 That's why through internet voting, wherever they are, home, work, especially our sailors and seafarers,
04:12 even if they are in a ship, as long as there is a signal from the internet that the gadget they will use is registered, they can vote.
04:20 This is the key to reduce our expenses in overseas voting.
04:24 If you can remember, we are sending machines, balotas, other goods and also training of people who are in charge abroad.
04:34 Through internet voting, it will be reduced because most of our 92 posts worldwide will use internet voting,
04:42 with the exception of 17 posts in countries that have internet restrictions,
04:47 like China, Russia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, Libya, Syria and the rest.
04:55 Most of them will use internet voting.
04:59 Director this is a good system.
05:02 What should registered overseas Filipino voters do to participate in online voting for the 2025 elections?
05:13 Even though we are still in the procurement stage of internet voting and it was just completed last April 2 of our bid opening,
05:21 we can see the features here. First of all, accessibility. That's number one.
05:28 Through mobile gadgets, cell phones, laptops and computers, our countrymen can vote.
05:36 We can also see, as part of the security, what we call authentications.
05:41 How this is done? Like the system of online banking and online financial institutions, we will register gadgets.
05:49 The data of these gadgets will be based on the data of our registered voters. We can rely on security.
05:56 The most important feature of our internet voting is what we call the accuracy of recording.
06:01 We ensure that from the authentication, from enrollment, and the good thing about voting is there is a receipt.
06:08 We can see proof of their voting and proof of their voting.
06:15 We can also see how their online voting was counted.
06:19 Lastly, this is a very important feature of the Internet voting, the auditability.
06:24 All parts of the Internet voting must be audited.
06:29 In fact, there is a feature of our system that we call error recovery.
06:35 We can get results, data, and most of all, we can print the voting of our countrymen in the Internet voting.
06:44 Sir, what is the country with the most overseas voters? Is it the Middle East, U.S.?
06:53 What are the top three or four countries?
06:57 The three we can see are here in Southeast Asia, including the U.S. and Canada region, and also here in the Middle East.
07:08 Those are the three regions with the most Filipinos, not only OSW, but also Filipinos abroad.
07:13 All right. So Mr. Sahe, please remind all of our countrymen to participate in the next election.
07:23 To our countrymen, whether here in the Philippines or abroad, the voters registration of COMELEC will continue until September 30.
07:32 I hope our countrymen abroad will be able to vote.
07:36 Their votes are now counted in 2025.
07:39 Especially now that we are using Internet voting for overseas voting, I hope they can join.
07:45 Especially our millions of marines and seafarers who asked to join the election.
07:51 Until September 30, the process is being accelerated.
07:54 I hope all of us can participate in the next election. Our votes will be counted in May 2025.
08:00 Thank you very much for your time Director John Rexlao-Diangco, the spokesperson of COMELEC.