Giving the vote to OFWs

Giving the vote to OFWs

When the two Houses of Congress finally find the time to buckle down to the task of making laws, after spending much time on inquiries in aid of legislation, they may want to give priority to a measure which would allow absentee voting.

The bill, which was certified urgent by the President in her State of the Nation Address, has been pending in Congress for 15 years now.

Four presidents have praised overseas Filipino workers (OFW) as our "modern-day heroes" but up to now they are effectively denied the right to vote. They who play a big role in propping up the economy are denied a say in the election of officials who run the country.

The Commission on Filipinos Overseas says the OFWs number about 7.38 million. This would be nearly 10 percent of the country's estimated population of 76 million.

CFO Commissioner Jose Molano, however, says that only about 4.5 million of the OFWs would be qualified to vote. Some are illegal workers and some have become permanent residents in the countries where they are working.

But 4.5 million is still a big number of voters, by any reckoning. In a close election, they can spell the difference between a candidate's victory and defeat.

It's time the OFWs were allowed to vote in absentia so that they can participate in the election of people who will run the country.

Some concerns have been raised about absentee voting. It is said that the administration party could manipulate the overseas vote in favor of its candidates.

But the overseas workers themselves can exercise vigilance and make sure that their votes are correctly counted and reported.

They can always organize chapters of the Namfrel or some other watchdog group in the countries where they are working.

OFWs are exposed to the more enlightened type of politics in some of the countries where they are working. They know more about the political and economic realities in the world.

It is hoped that because of this exposure they will be more politically sophisticated and therefore vote intelligently.

The next elections will take place in 2004, just three years away. Now is as good a time as any to start deliberations on the absentee voting measure so that discussions may be conducted in a more dispassionate manner, unaffected by proximate elections.

-- Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila