ABU DHABI // Election frenzy gripped the Philippine embassy yesterday as hundreds streamed into six polling stations to vote for their country’s new leaders.
Constancio Vingno Jr, the Philippine ambassador to the UAE, said he and his wife, Yoko, were surprised to see a large crowd outside the embassy when they arrived at 7.20am for the first day of overseas voting.
“We didn’t expect a lot of people before polls opened at 8am,” he said. “After seeing this crowd today, I can say how deeply involved my compatriots are in this political exercise.”
Five candidates are vying to replace president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, who has been in power since 2010. They are Manuel Roxas II, a former interior secretary; Jejomar Binay, the vice president; Grace Poe, a senator and adopted daughter of celebrities; Rodrigo Duterte, the mayor of Davao City, known for his anti-crime stance; and Miriam Defensor Santiago, a judge and three-term senator.
First-time voter Manuel Belistoy, who has lived and worked in the UAE for 10 years, was at the embassy by 5am after driving for three hours from Ruwais.
“I’m just so excited to vote for our next president,” said the 44-year-old safety engineer. “Making the right choice in this election is crucial. I have four children back home and we need to vote for someone who can help us build a brighter future for our children.”
Joseph Libres, 45, an accountant in Abu Dhabi for the past nine years, was vocal about his choice for president.
“The elections will bring positive change,” he said. “We need a president who can steer us in the right direction, and that would be Duterte.”
Mary Grace Barz, 43, an administrative assistant at Abu Dhabi Airports, said she was concerned about ballots being tampered with, considering the fact that overseas absentee voters will be able to vote for a month.
“I hope nothing will happen to our votes,” she said. “But all in all, everything’s OK. Everyone’s friendly and accommodating.”
For most, voting was straightforward, but some were turned away because their names were not on the voters list.
“I’m so upset,” said Lee Ann Lumiwan, 41, an assistant teacher in Abu Dhabi for nine years. “I’m still hoping they’ll sort it out.”
Voters must present a valid passport, or other identification with their name, signature and photograph, to a board of election inspectors, then fill out a ballot and cast a vote.
They darken an oval opposite the name of their preferred candidate and party-list group instead of writing out the details. The ballot is fed into a machine and, after the polls close, it counts the votes. Voters get an indelible ink on their index finger as proof of having voted.
At the consulate in Dubai, the atmosphere was festive, said Paul Raymond Cortes, the consul-general.
“Many voters are supporters of certain candidates and feel they must have a say in the vision of their country, and translate their votes into the leaders that they would be electing for the national positions,” he said.
“We’re hoping that Filipinos here get out and vote,” he said.
Voting at the consulate is from 8am to 9pm daily until May 8. On May 9, the last day of the poll, voting will be from 5am to 1pm.
“If all registered voters – about 33 per cent of the more than 600,000 Filipinos in the UAE – cast their votes, you can imagine what sort of message it would send to back home as far as determining the role of overseas Filipino workers in nation building,” Mr Cortes said.
rruiz@thenational.ae
