COMELEC: Media absentee voting expected to be approved before election

by Carla Jean Casibang


Commission on Elections (Comelec) stayed positive that the media absentee voting policy will be approved anytime soon.

 “The ideological source of media absentee voting is the existing law regarding the absentee voting for government officials. It mandates that the government officials who have an election duty, be given the privilege to vote ahead of everyone else. It is available among the militaries and civil service employees who have work on the day of elections. The existing law cannot be extended among the members of the media, who likewise do not have time to vote due to their work. There is no law as of yet, thus we are still hoping and we are positive that the bill will push thru.” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said.

Authored by Senator Manny Villar, the bill is the counterpart of House Bill 4241, which was sent to the senate in August last year.

The House version allows a qualified media person to vote within 14 working days prior an election.

The Senate counted a total of 29 amendments to the original bill. Earlier, Senator Koko Pimentel supported the passage of the Senate Bill 1198, to give the privilege of early voting among the members of the media, including the technical and support staff.

 Pimentel identified the requirements for absentee voting as follows: 1) that said members of media are duly registered as voters; 2) must be accredited by the Commission on Election as recommended by their media outfit; and 3) that they may vote on the days fixed by the Comelec and in the city or municipality where their media outfit has established as its main or satellite office.

"The requirements should serve as a timely reminder that not all individuals who claim that they are media practitioners will automatically enjoy the right to vote as ordained in this bill," said Pimentel, chairperson of the committee on electoral reforms and people's participation.

Comelec is now plotting the rules and regulations to be imposed on the privilege to ensure the efficiency of the policy.

 Jimenez said on Monday that the bill, currently pending before the senate, is now on its final reading and expected to be implemented before elections in 2013.