House OKs early voting for media

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading the bill that would allow absentee voting for legitimate members of the media to vote earlier so they could perform their duties on election day more effectively.

Under House Bill 4241, authored by representatives Marcelino Teodoro (Marikina City) and Teodoro Casiño (Bayan Muna party-list), a qualified member of the media could vote during office hours within 14 working days before the day of the elections in the Office of the Municipal or City Election Registrar where they are registered.

All Filipino citizens, 18 years old and above are accorded the right of suffrage in which the state ensures equal opportunity to all in order to exercise their fundamental right. The right covers special cases where citizens, carrying out public service, cannot cast their votes on election day.

“During election day, media practitioners are our source of election updates and at the same time watchdogs, exposing different images of election abuses,” Teodoro said.

“Thus, many qualified members of the media are deprived of their right of suffrage because of the lack of opportunity due to their work assignments, away from their places of registration on the day of election,” he said.

The bill provides that 30 days before the election, officers of media establishments shall submit to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), a list of members of their media staff who will be assigned away from their polling place and will not be able to vote on the day of the election but desire to exercise the right to vote.

The bill requires media practitioners who have been verified by the Comelec and who are registered voters to accomplish an application form for early voting.

The co-authors of the bill are representatives Neri Javier Colmenares (Bayan Muna), Luzviminda Ilagan (Gabriela), Rafael Mariano (Anakpawis), Raymond Palatino (Kabataan), Emerenciana de Jesus (Gabriela) and Antonio Tinio (ACT Teachers).