Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

"THE vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men." - Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson

WITH only a few more days to go before the deadline to register for Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV), we would like to take an active role in encouraging our kababayans to exercise their right to vote for the May 2010 elections in the Philippines. The OAV registration ends on August 31.

As Filipino citizens, the right to vote is not only our privilege to choose leaders wisely, it is a responsibility that requires our full participation to safeguard the freedom and democracy (or what’s left of it) that we are currently enjoying.

Voter registration is the right of all eligible citizens to participate in the affairs of the government. It is one of the cornerstones of democracy, and perhaps the most fundamental form of participation by voting in free and fair elections. For Filipino citizens to exercise their democratic right to vote, there must be a comprehensive and inclusive electoral register.

This is why it is imperative for Overseas Filipinos to step up and register to be able to vote via the Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) law.

As of August 26, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported that the number of new overseas absentee registrants has reached 200,637. Existing OAV voters are at 371,304 – giving a total of 571,941 voters, 428,059 short of the one million target OAV voters set by the Secretariat.

According to Ellene Sana, executive director of the Center for Migrant Advocacy, it is the lack of information campaigns that became a major obstacle in increasing the number of registrants. Susan Ople, President of the Blas Ople Policy Center, believes that the culprit for the low turnout is a bad case of skepticism among Filipinos both in the Philippines and abroad. But she also believes that this deeply-rooted cynicism should serve as "a challenge to candidates of national positions, especially for those aspiring for the highest post in the land."

There’s still time for potential OAV registrants to drastically change the numbers. And the time to act is NOW. (AJPress)