22 Aug 2006
Dubai: Philippine authorities in the UAE are stepping up efforts to get more of the estimated 150,000 eligible Filipino voters to register with the embassy or consulate despite a month-long extension for voter registration.
The absentee voter registration, which was scheduled to end on August 31, has been extended to September 30, allowing Philippine government officials here to register more voters.
Libran Cabactulan, the Philippine ambassador, told Gulf News that the registration drives would continue although the deadline has recently been extended to September 30.
"We might conduct registration drives in Al Ain and Al Rowais we haven't decided yet because we have one month," he said.
He added that new voters can register at the embassy during office hours, from 9am to 5pm, including Fridays.
The Philippine Consulate is conducting registration drives in the northern emirates over the weekends and has extended office hours up to 6pm, including on Fridays, to accept new voters.
"If they are going to register, we're going to accept them," one official said.
Antonio Curameng, the Consul General in Dubai, told Gulf News that Filipinos should take advantage of the extension to register.
"They have to register so as not to be disenfranchised themselves.
"After this, if they decide to vote, they won't be able to," he said.
He said so far over 2,000 new voters residing in Dubai and the northern emirates had registered to vote, on top of an estimated 26,000 who registered to vote in the previous election.
This is the second time Filipinos in the UAE are participating in an election since the Philippine government passed legislation in February 2003 allowing overseas Filipinos to cast their vote.
By Nina Muslim
Gulf News 2006. All rights reserved.
