Pinoys in Baghdad, Damascus, Tripoli may vote in other Philippine posts

MANILA, Philippines - Around 4,000 Filipino voters in Baghdad, Damascus and Tripoli will be allowed to vote in other Philippine posts to prevent their disenfranchisement.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Arthur Lim gave this assurance amid the suspension of overseas voting due to the “evacuation situation” in the said areas.

“We have agreed that other posts outside of Baghdad, Damascus and Tripoli will have the lists of the voters. When the voters go there, they should be allowed to vote as long as their names are in the lists,” Lim said.

Records show there are 173 registered voters in Baghdad, 289 in Damascus and 3,453 in Tripoli.

“The Comelec is doing this because we are for enfranchisement, not disenfranchisement. We want these people to be able to vote,” Lim said.

Lim said the Comelec and Department of Foreign Affairs are looking into the possibility of allowing these Filipinos to vote in the embassies of Baghdad, Damascus and Tripoli. He said these people would also be allowed to vote here if they are home during Election Day.

There are some 1.4 million overseas absentee voters as of Nov. 12, up from 700,000 in the 2013 elections.