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No indelible ink for OAV — RP envoy


The Philippine diplomatic post in Saudi Arabia on Sunday clarified that while they are not using indelible ink in the conduct of the overseas absentee voting there, security measures are in place to prevent repeat or flying voters. In a phone interview with GMANews.TV, Vice Consul Roussel Reyes of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) did not provide them and other Embassies and Consulates Generals across the world with indelible ink because it was “impractical." “Imagine this. I will vote today, my finger will be marked using indelible ink, but I can rub alcohol on it for three days and the mark will be gone. Remember that the OAV will last for 30 days," Reyes said. The Embassy was reacting to concerns raised by Filipino organizations in the Kingdom, which expressed fears that not using indelible ink as a security measure may lead to poll fraud. The indelible ink is usually applied on the cuticle of the index finger of voters after casting their ballots, creating a semi-permanent stain, to prevent electoral fraud such as voting more than once. Reyes, however, said apart from the certified list of overseas absentee voters (CLOAV), polling centers in the Kingdom have a more detailed list of voters with voting records (LVVR) as a security measure. He said the CLOAV only lists names, birthdates and addresses, while the LVVR includes the voter’s picture, thumb mark, signature and ballot serial number. Concerns Migrante-Middle East, however, said polling centers in the Kingdom used ink in the 2004 and 2007 elections, and should have also been used this year especially in light of voters now being allowed to vote in alternate centers. “The indelible ink performs a special security function, and that is to ensure no flying voters or ghost voters could cast their votes, especially after allowing the ‘manual tagging system’," Migrante regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona said in a statement. Under the new system, voters registered in Riyadh but listed in Al Khobar, or vice versa, can now vote in any of three other voting centers across Saudi Arabia. The three centers are the International Philippine School in Al Khobar, the Embassy in Riyadh and the Philippine International School Buraydah. Reyes explained that at the end of the day-to-day OAV, the polling centers exchange information and update their lists, so that voters who have cast their votes in one center will not be able to vote again in another. “Rest assured that security measures are set up to prevent fraud," he said. Monterona, however, said they are consulting their lawyers if the group could file a formal protest before the Cemelec. “We will be consulting our lawyers and would seek their legal advice if we could file a formal protest to the COMELEC-COAV about this irregularity," he said. Low turnout of voters As this developed, Reyes admitted the Embassy is having difficulties encouraging Filipinos in the Kingdom to participate in the OAV. He said there is no public transportation there apart from the more expensive cabs, adding that the polling centers can be far from some job sites and transportation costs can reach as much as 200 Saudi riyals (over P2,000). “There also are restrictions on women so unless their sponsors bring them to the voting centers, it could be risky for Filipino women to travel by themselves," he explained. The Embassy has already requested assistance from the Department of Foreign Affairs to provide transportation for Filipino voters according to Reyes, but it has yet to be granted. Just nine days before the end of the OAV, only over 8,200 Filipinos have voted in Riyadh, or just about 15 percent of the 52,869 registered Filipino voters in the capital city of Saudi Arabia. — KBK, GMANews.TV

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