Overseas Pinoys to boycott polls?

A non-government organization of overseas Filipinos warned yesterday that they will stage a global boycott of administration candidates in the 2004 elections if the government will not give them "total suffrage" in the absentee voting bill.

"President Arroyo must not expect any votes from Filipinos abroad, especially if she continues to undermine their right to complete suffrage," said Migrante International secretary general Poe Gratela.

Gratela said Migrante International will call on member organizations worldwide to campaign against administration candidates during its upcoming Third Congress on Dec. 16-20.

"We will actively campaign to convince Filipinos abroad not to vote for administration candidates. After all, they have been bearing the brunt of President Arroyo’s oppressive economic policies." Gratela said.

He added that the Arroyo administration’s "all-out support" for the United States war against terrorism, including the planned attack on Iraq, threatens the lives of millions of Filipinos abroad.

Both chambers of Congress have passed separate versions of the bill – Senate Bill 2104 and House Bill 3570 – and a bicameral conference committee is still working to consolidate the two bills.

According to Gratela, Migrante International prefers SB 2104 because it guarantees all Filipinos abroad, whether immigrants or temporary migrants, documented or undocumented, the right to vote for party-list congressmen, senators, vice president and president.

But HB 3570 grants overseas Filipinos the right to vote only for president and vice president. – With Mayen Jaymalin