RIYADH/ALKHOBAR/JEDDAH, 12 April 2004 — Hundreds of Filipinos in the Kingdom took time off work yesterday to be among the first in the first-ever Philippine overseas absentee vote.

Two managers were first and second to cast their votes at the International Philippine School in Alkhobar, where polling for the Eastern Region is being held.

Conde Garcia, a deputy general manager from Dammam, dropped his closed envelope containing the ballot form into the ballot box first.

Next was Dr. Richard Joseph, branch manager of Simon-Carves Ltd. in Alkhobar, who was happy despite having to wait for three hours before casting his vote. He said he was at IPSA at 9 a.m. but the polls did not open till noon. “I am very happy that after 17 years abroad I was finally able to participate in the Philippine elections today,” Garcia told Arab News.

In all, 358,669 Filipinos around the world have been registered to participate in the monthlong overseas absentee voting to elect the next Philippine president, vice president, 12 senators and one party-list representative.

Of that number, Saudi Arabia has the biggest at 97,000, followed by Hong Kong with more than 70,000 registered voters.

Standing for the presidency are incumbent Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, actor Fernando Poe Jr., Sen. Panfilo Lacson, former Education Secretary Raul Roco and television evangelist Eddie Villanueva.

In the Kingdom, Riyadh has the biggest number of registered voters at 41,542; Jeddah has 33,229 and Alkhobar 22,783.

Voting is being held at the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, the consulate general in Jeddah, and the IPSA in Alkhobar.

In Jeddah, voting started also at 8 p.m. as scheduled.

At the end of the day, a total of 671 had cast their votes in Jeddah, and there were 437 in Alkhobar.

Officials in Riyadh gave only an estimate of 500 voters based on the number of OFWs who entered the embassy yesterday.

“The turnout today is good enough for a start,” said Vice Consul and Third Secretary Adrian Cruz, the embassy’s overall voting coordinator, adding that he is expecting greater numbers at weekends.

He said volunteers from community organizations were among the first to vote when polls opened at 8 a.m.

Embassy officials led by charge d’affaires Mariano A. Dumia, who chairs the steering committee that oversees the voting, were on hand for the start of the historic vote.

Among the first to vote in Jeddah was Boy Cornejo, a community leader, who revealed in an exit poll by Arab News and The Filipino Channel that he voted for the incumbent president.

“I voted for Arroyo because she has all it takes to be a leader. She needs to be elected so that she could continue whatever she started,” he said.

Cecilia Zenisa, a medical secretary of Disabled Children’s Association, said she favored a strong and decisive leader so she voted for Lacson. “Ping Lacson is my man, an iron man. A president should be tough,” she said.

Marcelo Barboko Jr., a machine operator, said he went for Villanueva. “Brother Villanueva is my hero. We need someone who is true to his calling, true to his responsibility, and true to God.”

Joselito B. Lazo, an IT specialist, voted for Roco. “Raul Roco has the qualification, intelligence and wisdom to lead the country. His educational programs are what most Filipinos need.”

Fed up with too many traditional politicians, Georly Noblesa, a security guard at the Islamic Development Bank, voted for Fernando Poe despite criticism that the actor had no experience and formal education.

“We have tried all those formally educated and bright presidents, but look what we are now. Let’s try someone like FPJ who is pro-poor, who has a heart,” he said.

Overall, officials and volunteers described the voting atmosphere as upbeat, except for some complaints of workers not finding their names in the official list of registered voters, or not being issued their voter’s ID.

Garcia, the second to vote in Alkhobar, said it took him only three minutes to complete the whole process of casting his vote.

“The whole system is very organized,” said Rey Alla, a sales representative.

Some voters, however, went home disappointed after failing to find their names in the list of registered voters in Alkhobar as provided by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Manila.

Labor Attaché Delmer Cruz said that those who were not in the list of Alkhobar voters can still vote if their names are in the official Certified List of Overseas Absentee Voters (CLOAV) of Comelec, which contains all the approved registered voters both in Riyadh and Alkhobar.

Since the registered voter is in the CLOAV originally meant for Riyadh, the registered voter may cast his vote either in Riyadh or Alkhobar, Cruz explained.

— Additional input from Rudy Estimo