PH Foreign Service Personnel Convene in Barcelona for Online Voting Training
The first leg of the online voting training for foreign service personnel commenced in Barcelona on 06 July 2024. Officials from the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) spearheaded the training with the support of the DFA-Overseas Voting Secretariat (OVS). In front row (from left) are COMELEC Commissioner Aimee Ferolino, DFA Undersecretary Jesus Domingo, COMELEC Commissioner Marlon Casquejo, Philippine Consul General to Barcelona Maria Theresa S.M. Lazaro, COMELEC Commissioner Nelson Celis, DFA Deputy Undersecretary Christina Gracia Rola-McKernan, DFA-OVS Vice Chairperson Robert Quintin, and COMELEC Director Rafael Olaño. (Barcelona PCG photo)
BARCELONA 17 July 2024 – With the forthcoming implementation of the first-ever online voting and canvassing system (OVCS) for overseas voters in the May 2025 mid-term election, foreign service personnel from various Philippine embassies and consulates general in Europe gathered in Barcelona on 06 July 2024 for the online voting training, provided by the officials of the Commission on Election (COMELEC).
A total of 27 personnel, including representatives from the Philippine Consulate General in Barcelona who also served as host, participated in the training. The session covered the legal basis, security features, and implementation timeline of the OVCS – a system expected to boost overseas voter turnout in the upcoming midterm elections in May 2025.
Through the Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003 (RA 9189) and its expansion through RA 10590, the personnel of Philippine Embassies and Consulates General serve as the government’s arms in implementing overseas voting procedures and regulations in close coordination with the COMELEC.
The implementation of the OVCS as a new mode of voting and canvassing is anchored on various legal provisions. COMELEC Commissioner Marlon Casquejo particularly underscored that, “Section 23 of RA 10590 expresses that other than voting in person or by mail, voting may also be done by any other means as may be determined by the COMELEC.
Commissioner Casquejo earlier confirmed in the Training for the Filipino Community Leaders (TFCL) in November 2023, also held in Barcelona, the plans for the OVCS roll-out. On 25 June 2024, COMELEC announced in Manila its agreement with SMS Global Technologies Inc. and Sequent Tech Inc for the implementation of online voting tools for overseas voters.
Being the frontliners for the overseas voting, the participants took interest in the security features of the online voting system, including the pre-enrollment procedure for registered or active overseas voters, focusing on protection against hacks and data privacy concerns.
COMELEC assured, "Our country’s online voting system incorporates multiple layers of security architecture. It is important to note that the system will undergo rigorous evaluation and certification by the Technical Evaluation Committee, utilizing an Independent Certification Entity to ensure impartiality and adherence to stringent standards and requirements. Additionally, the source code of the online voting system will be meticulously reviewed and analyzed by local experts and authorities to guarantee its security and integrity."
The DFA-Overseas Voters Secretariat, led by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Affairs Jesus Domingo stressed the role the Filipinos overseas in nation building, “yet we realize that their participation in Philippine elections has always been low”.
Philippine Consul General to Barcelona Maria Theresa S.M. Lazaro expressed optimism for a higher voter turnout with the convenience that the OVCS will bring to the election process. In 2022, Barcelona registered 51 percent voter turnout.
Around 80 percent or 76 of Philippine embassies and consulates general around the world are slated to implement the overseas voting system in the 2025 Philippine midterm elections. END
COMELEC Commissioner Marlon Casquejo (standing behind podium) leads the training of foreign service personnel on the online voting system in Barcelona on 06 July 2024. The training also served as a consultation as COMELEC is putting together the General Instructions for the first-ever online voting which aims to encourage more overseas Filipinos to participate in the election process. Joining the training on panel are (from left) DFA-OVS Vice Chairperson Robert Quintin, COMELEC Commissioner Nelson Celis, Philippine Consulate General to Barcelona Maria Theresa S.M. Lazaro, and Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Jesus Domingo. (Barcelona PCG photo)
For more information, visit https://barcelonapcg.dfa.gov.ph/ or https://www.facebook.com/PHinBarcelona/.