7m new voters ‘game changers’ in polls: Official

MANI: A Commission on Elections (Comelec) official on Thursday described the country’s seven million new voters as “game changers” who would have a big say on the outcome of the May 9 national polls just four days away.

Comelec Commissioner George Garcia said the seven million were among the 67.4 million eligible Filipinos who are to cast their ballots on May 9, Election Day. He said they also include 84,000 local absentee voters and 1.7 million overseas voters.

“The seven million new voters will be game changers. So, if all of them will vote it will be a big deal,” Garcia told a media briefing.

He pointed their role would become even more significant citing the big number of candidates seeking election in the national and local positions at stake in the polls.

“For the first time,” Garcia said, “we have 10 candidates running for president. We have nine candidates for vice president and try to image how many candidates for senator that we have.”

He also revealed the presence of more than 170 partylist candidates which he described as “all-time high in numbers.”

Partylist winners are to protect and promote the interests of under-represented sectors in society the House of Representatives like pensioners, teachers, farmers, fishermen and small businessmen.

However, concerned groups like lawyers, members of the religious as well as lawmakers have called for reforms in the partylist system.

They said that big business, political dynasties and special interest groups have used the system to elect their candidates to the House.

In a separate interview, Garcia lamented as “not promising” the low turnout of the 1.7 million eligible overseas Filipino workers (OFWS) allowed to participate in the overseas voting for the May 9 national elections.

Garcia said the Comelec had been spending a lot for the overseas voting but noted that “it’s not that promising – the number of voters who voted overseas.”

He said the month-long overseas voting for

OFWS started on April 10 and is to end on May 9.

“We are asking, imploring our countrymen and avail themselves of te remaining days to vote,” he told a TV interview.

“We cannot extend the voting because the Constitution provides that the elections should be held on the second Monday of May.”

Under the country’s Overseas Voting Act, OFWS are to elect only the president, vice president, 12 senators and party list representatives.

They cannot vote for candidates seeking election for the 18,000 local positions at stake in the May 9 elections like congressman, governor, mayor and members of city and municipal councils.