Online voting upholds OFWs’
right of suffrage
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
January
17, 2007
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte – The
pronouncement of the Commission on Elections that the pilot testing of online
voting for Overseas Filipino Workers would push through in Singapore on April
14, is welcomed with joy by the Filipino people as it is a clear manifestation
of upholding the right of suffrage of the “new heroes” of the country.
This is indeed good news as
the election period starts. This will mean that even if the Filipino Overseas
Workers are away from home by force of circumstance, they will still be able to
join in the democratic exercises in the country.
Pioneer in Philippine
elections, the internet voting will be initially held in Singapore as the
testing area because the country is relatively small and the administration of
the process would be easy and controllable.
COMELEC said that there is no
way election fraud will be committed because of the high security features of
the mode being used. If this is so, then perhaps, it could also be used here in
the country to ensure a truly clean and honest elections.
Around 26,000 OFWs are set to
exercise their right of suffrage as they cast their votes online using the
high-security features of the technology provided by Scytl, a Spanish IT
company.
It is prayed that the pilot
testing in Singapore
will be successful because if it is, the mode will also be implemented in the
United States, Middle East countries and Hongkong where most Overseas Filipino
Workers abound.
Be it as it may, the
government’s move to allow the Overseas Filipino Workers the right to vote no
matter where they are in this whole wide world, is a clear proof of the
government’s recognition of the great contributions the OFWs are doing not only
in improving the economic situation of their respective families but in ensuring
that the country’s economic growth will be pushed and sustained.
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