Monday, April 18, 2022
Contact: Nikki De Leon, +1-408-800-1531, kontradayausa@gmail.com
Amid Delayed Ballots & OAV Irregularities, Filipinos across the U.S. Organize to Take Matters into Their Own Hands
One week into the 2022 Overseas Absentee Voting window (April 10-May 9), tens of thousands of registered voters in the US have still not received their ballots. Filipinos across the US are claiming widespread OAV mishandling on the part of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), which according to R.A. 9189 should have transmitted ballots to embassies and consulates no later than 75-days before the day of elections.
“Mabibilang sa kamay ang nakatanggap ng balota, sa mga kakilala naming registered voters,” shared Tabitha Ponciano of Malaya Movement USA. “Based sa mga reports na narinig namin, wala pa sa 50 percent ng mga balota sa konsulado ang kanilang nai-mail at this point, and this is an optimistic estimate. With 20 days left in elections, this is why we say there's cause for alarm.”
Beyond the risk of delayed receipt of ballots, Rey Belen of 1SAMBAYAN in Chicago feared that hundreds may not receive a ballot at all. “The consulate in Chicago announced there are 392 registered voters with no address on file, and that because of this, these voters may possibly not receive their ballots.”
For Carolina de Leon of Malaya Movement New York, the threat of disenfranchisement holds especially true for migrant, working Filipinos. “We know that many of our kababayan are working in domestic work and are live-in. If they’re living at their employers’ place for one week, two weeks, they might not get home in time to receive their ballots.” The consulates’ reasoning that voters should not worry about delayed ballots because they have 30 days to submit them is of little reassurance to such workers.
Not Just COMELEC, Embassy and Consulates, Too
Other community and civic leaders were likewise dismayed by the conduct of embassy and consular officials, which have been fraught with last minute notification, inefficient communication systems, and excuses when questioned by their constituents.
“We sent a letter to bring to the attention [of Ambassador Jose Romualdez] the disturbing problems regarding the Filipino Overseas Absentee Voting,” voiced Eric Lachica of U.S. Filipinos for Good Governance (USFGG). Among these problems was the embassy’s last minute press release dated April 8 notifying the public of an April 9 deadline to submit applications for poll watchers, news media, and local community observers, leaving the public with an “unreasonable twenty-four hour application deadline.”
“We were able to raise concerns to Consul General Edgar Badajos,” expressed Xenia Tupas of Migrante Los Angeles, “but they responded that they only have an email for queries on overseas voting, which doesn’t reply timely.” Ara Chawdhury, who joined a delegation to ask questions from the San Francisco Consulate General in early April, echoed Tupas’ concerns. “How can you expect one agency to field 47,000 emails?” questioned Chawhury, referencing the over 47,000 registered overseas voters under the San Francisco consulate’s jurisdiction. “It doesn’t make sense that the best you can do is to email your concerns. There’s no help desk? It’s ridiculous how unimportant this seems to them.”
Not Simply Isolated Incidents
Leaders noted that the current mishandling of the OAV process cannot simply be attributed to one-time blunders.
“They knew six years ago that there would be an election,” insisted de Leon. “They are well-paid public officials in the COMELEC. They should have been preparing for this election.”
Belen and Chawdhury even recounted their experiences trying to register as overseas voters in the Fall of 2021. Ultimately, they were unable to register on time due to conflicting and unclear information posted on consulate websites. Since the 2019 midterm election, overseas voter registration in the US dropped by 19 percent.
Nerissa Allegretti of 1SAMBAYAN USA noted that among the overseas elections she has participated in, the 2022 elections has been the worst. “The situation we have now is unimaginable. In previous elections, we had ballots by March. Now, we only have 20 days left and tens of thousands of voters are still without their ballots.”
Elsewhere, disturbing reports of OAV irregularities under the watch of Philippine foreign missions in countries like Singapore and Sweden started in early April. Complaints include delayed ballots, pre-shaded ballots, receiving more than one ballot, and misspelled registered voter names on mail-in envelopes.
Taking Matters into Their Own Hands
With only 30 days allotted for OAV ballot casting, every day of delay in ballot distribution is a threat to the integrity of the institution of elections and hard-won Philippine democracy. Organizers have chosen to confront this threat to democracy head-on.
“We are coming together to support Kontra Daya and the efforts to monitor fraud during this election,” announced Nikki De Leon of the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns. “If you or anyone you know experience irregularities during the OAV period, please speak up. Your voice and experience will help to ensure a clean and honest election this 2022.” Voters can file a confidential report at bit.ly/kontradayausa.
Further, speakers called for an investigation of the COMELEC to ensure they be held accountable for the poor handling of overseas absentee voting.
Beyond these measures, Ponciano emphasized collective action to ensure votes are counted, including “get out the vote” efforts being conducted across formations like 1SAMBAYAN USA, US Filipinos for Good Governance, Malaya Movement, and BAYAN USA. “We can’t rely on the COMELEC to take action,” argued Ponciano. “We need to emphasize our collective action and make a collective effort to get our votes in. We can deliver our votes together directly to the doors of the consulates, or organize mass ballot drop offs at post offices.”
Organizers are set to hold a National Day of Action for Hope and Democracy across several cities in the US on Saturday, April 23. In addition to protecting the country’s democracy, organizers remain vigilant against fraud and are demanding clean, honest, and transparent Philippine elections in 2022. For more information on April 23 actions, visit malayamovement.com/hope-democracy. ###