Mail voting up to Comelec, says Palace

November 9, 2020

Malacanang said on Monday it would be up to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) if it would allow Filipinos to exercise their right of suffrage through mail.

This was after Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon has proposed to allow mail voting similar to the United States, which recently held its election.

"We  respect that recommendation coming as it does from a legal luminary within the Comelec and under the Constitution it is tasked, of course, with the supervision and conduct of elections," said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in a televised press briefing.

But Roque said he was not sure if there is still a need to amend the Omnibus Election Code in order to include mail voting.

"But we leave that to the wisdom of the Comelec," he said.

Guanzon said mail voting could be adopted in the May 2022 elections.

She said there would be high turnout of votes if mail voting would be allowed to cover also persons with disability, elderly and pregnant women.

Aside from the actual voting at the precincts, the Philippines allows overseas and local absentee voting. Celerina Monte/DMS