Archive for July 13, 2009

Mindanao election officers express support for poll automation

Election officials in the Southern Mindanao have manifested “unrelenting support” to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC’s) vision to automate the national and local elections in May 10, 2010.

“We are one in the conviction that the conduct of an automated electoral exercise in this opportune time will ultimately pave the way for an efficient and credible election result particularly in the counting and canvassing of votes and will thus restore public confidence on chosen leaders,” said 113 Election Officers and Provincial Election Supervisors in Mindanao led by Region XII Acting Regional Election Director Michael C. Abas.

“Public welfare and the mission of this Commission shall then be served best under a fully implemented law on automation. So as the law was written, so it shall be done,” they said.

The manifesto, which was signed July 3, 2009 in General Santos City, was welcomed by COMELEC spokesman and Education and Information chief James Jimenez.

“We are delighted to hear of our field officials’ collective expression of support for this Commission’s determination to implement the much anticipated first ever fully modernized and automated elections in the country,” said Jimenez. ###

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COMELEC to tap INC, JIL, Migrante to encourage OFWs to register

The Commission on Elections is set to tap the Iglesia ni Cristo, the Jesus is Lord Church and the overseas Filipino workers’ (OFW) group Migrante International to help them in its campaign to increase the turn-out of overseas absentee voter (OAV) registrants, the spokesman for the poll body said today.

COMELEC spokesman James Jimenez said that they will be sending letters to the leaders of the aforesaid churches and the OFW group to help them promote the ongoing OAV registration and to ask them to encourage their congregations, chapters and members to register.

“In order for us to achieve our goal of one million OAV registrants for the May 10, 2010 elections, we need the help of Filipino groups and religious organizations to encourage the widest number of our kababayans to exercise their right to vote,” said COMELEC Chairman Jose A.R. Melo.

“The COMELEC is humbly seeking their (INC, JIL, Migrante) support in this endeavor by helping promote the ongoing OAV registration and encouraging all of their overseas congregations, chapters and members to register at Philippine embassies and consulates worldwide before the August 31 deadline,” Melo added.

The registration period for overseas absentee voters will end on August 31, 2009. OAV applicants need only present their passports (for land-based applicants) and seaman’s books (for seafarers) to facilitate their registration. ###

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