MANILA, 26 January 2003 — If Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. is to be believed, the long wait will be over for the long delayed Absentee Voting Bill.

Pimentel said the joint Bicameral Committee of the House and the Senate panels finally reached a consensus on certain disagreeable provisions.

The solon disclosed only two remaining provisions are needed to be discussed in the next bicameral discussions.

Pimentel, who sat as chairman of the subcommittee Bicameral Group, said Tarlac Rep. Jesli Lapuz, Senate majority leader Loren Legarda, Sen. Robert Barbers and members of the House of Representatives, Makati Rep. Teddy Boy Locsin, Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen, and Iloilo Rep. Augusto Syjuco, met with him and agreed on nine provisions.

“We have the consensus that the agreements we arrived at will be approved as well upon presentation to the bigger bicameral group,” Pimentel said.

In the meeting it was agreed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) will be allowed to vote for the positions of President, Vice President, Senator, and party list representatives, Pimentel said.

However it was the House members that opposed the idea of allowing Filipinos abroad to vote for party list candidates and senators.

The meeting also agreed to allow national candidates to campaign abroad.

Qualified Filipinos must register in person in Philippine embassies or consulates abroad, and must present a valid proof of their citizenship like a valid passport.

The bicameral group also agreed to allow voting by personal appearance in voting centers to be set up in specific sites, or by regular or electronic mail.

Seafarers are granted 60 days to vote in advance.

“Permanent residents may vote if records show they are not excluded,” Pimentel said.

Assistance from Filipino organizations will also be allowed.

Pimentel said the bone of contention now remains on the “sunset clause,” which provides that the law would only be applicable to the 2004 elections, after which, lawmakers would go over the law again see if it would be applied to the next national elections.

“We at the Senate are opposing this,” he said.

Senate President Franklin Drilon agreed. “Why would you pass the law only to see if it could be applied again to the next elections. But I hope we can resolve this the soonest possible time,” he said.

Pimentel also said they would try to include permanent overseas residents in the electoral process. Pimentel is confident the AVB issue would be over by February.