Re-enfranchisement of Overseas Filipino voters

An important announcement through the Office of Philippine Honorary Consul General Gigi Kalong from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas:

To        :           All Philippine Posts

From   :           Commission on Filipinos Overseas

Re       :           Re-enfranchisement of Overseas Filipino Voters

Date    :           March 15, 2013

Greetings from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO)!

The CFO is pleased to inform you that the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) voted en banc last March 5, 2013 on the re-enfranchisement of over 238,000 overseas Filipino voters who were earlier delisted by the Comelec based on its December 4, 2012’s resolution.

The reversal happened after Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes and its Commissioner Grace Padaca listened to and agreed with the argument presented by the Global Filipino Diaspora Council (GFDC) officers headed by Atty. Loida Nicolas Lewis, Atty. Ted Laguatan and Atty. Rodil Rodis. The change in the Comelec’s decision is considered a victory for overseas Filipino voters.

The GFDC is a global organization of Filipinos initially formed during the 1^st Global Summit of Filipinos in the Diaspora on September 2011 at the Philippine International Convention Center. During the recently concluded 2^nd Global Summit of Filipinos in the Diaspora held last February 26-27, 2013 at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City, the GFDC’s constitution and by-laws were ratified.

Please be advised that the webpage of the Comelec at

http://www.comelec.gov.ph/oav/?r=tpl/oav_lists/list_of_overseas_absentee_voters_who_failed_to_vote_in_two_consecutive_national_elections

contains the list of overseas voters delisted last December but are now eligible to vote. The list will show the names of the voters and the places where they are posted. Please go through A to Z and find out the names of the voters in your cities/countries. Please contact them and ask them to inform the consulates where they are located that they were re-enfranchised by the Comelec’s March 5 decision.

We will appreciate it if the Post could disseminate the abovementioned information among the Filipino communities and media within your jurisdiction.

Thank you and best regards.

Very truly yours,

SECRETARY IMELDA M. NICOLAS (SGD.)

Chairperson