RIYADH, 2 August 2003 — The lone biometrics machine to make it on the opening day of registration for Filipino absentee voters at the Philippine Embassy broke down yesterday, but this did not dampen the spirit of the early birds.
The registration started at 9 a.m., with Ambassador Bahnarim Guinomla himself as the first registrant.
Using the biometrics machine, poll officials took the ambassador’s ID picture, thumbprint, and signature. As advertised, the exercise took only five minutes to complete. But somebody accidentally stepped on the power line, so Arab News was told, and the staff deputized by the Philippine Commission on Election was not able to operate the machine again.
Registration went on, however, with those who came manually filling out the application form for an Overseas Absentee Voter after verification of the required documents.
Under the Overseas Absentee Voting Act signed by President Gloria Arroyo early this year, Filipinos working or living abroad who are qualified to vote can participate in the May 2004 election for president, vice president, senators and party-list representatives.
Saudi Arabia has the second biggest overseas Filipino community with an estimated 900,000 or so, surpassed only by the United States, which has more than 2 million Filipinos. Many of those Filipinos in the US, however, are disqualified under the OAV because they are US citizens.
In Saudi Arabia, restrictions against the establishment of registration centers outside of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate General in Jeddah has dampened the enthusiasm of many OFWs residing in far-flung areas.
Some organizations yesterday sought to help reverse this by leading the way.
Sending the biggest delegation was the Black Python martial arts group, whose leaders and members said they wanted to encourage other Filipinos in the Kingdom to exercise their right to select Philippine national leaders. “Now that our Congress has enacted a law allowing us who are abroad to vote, let us participate,” one Black Python officer told Arab News.
Led by Boy Macion and Faisal Mercurio, Black Python had also been active in other community activities. It had also teamed up with a Filipino community school in Riyadh to raise funds for the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC).
Vice Consul Germie Usudan said they were pleased to see the big number of people who showed up and encouraged others to participate in the exercise.
Although the manual registration took longer, Vice Consul Adie Cruz said they expect the exercise to get faster once all the biometrics machines sent to the Kingdom by Manila are released at the Customs department. Cruz said 33 biometrics machines have been sent for Riyadh and 21 for Jeddah.
For an 8-hour-per-day-work, one biometrics machine can process 5,760 applications in the 60-day registration period allowed under the law. To register, each OFW is required to be personally present at the embassy or consulate within the registration period, with a valid Philippine passport.
For applicants with no valid passport, two of any of the following alternative documents can be presented:
• NSO birth certificate
• NSO marriage certificate
• Residence card
• Employment card/permit/iqama
• Driver’s license
• SSS card
• Local ID
• Affidavit
Usudan and Cruz said they will be writing big companies such as hospitals and manufacturing firms to allow their Filipino employees to have at least one day off to register at the embassy. Cruz requested those who are working in companies which employ big number of Filipinos to provide them the name of their employer so they could write them.
