
James Jimenez, the Comelec spokesman, attributed this to increased awareness among the estimated 10 million OFWs who wanted to vote for the successor of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino whose fixed six-year term is to end in 2016.
Jimenez cited a report from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), which showed that about 18,000 new OFWs had registered in May, more than double the number of those who wanted to vote for the same month for the 2013 midterm election.
The number, he said, was also more than 600 per cent higher than the past three registration periods for qualified expatriate Filipino voters.
May was the first month of the 17-month registration period conducted by the Comelec and the DFA to enable qualified OFW voters to participate in the 2016 polls less than two years away, Jimenez said.
He also attributed the high turnout to heightened information and education campaign launched by the Comelec and the DFA to encourage overseas Filipinos to vote for Aquino’s successor.
Jimenez said the DFA was the lead agency in the campaign by opening up Philippine diplomatic outposts abroad like embassies and consulates to register OFWs in line with the country’s Overseas Voting Act of 2013.