Senate bill on media absentee voting OK’d in final reading

Senate of the Philippines. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JESS YUSON

MANILA, Philippines – A Senate bill allowing media practitioners to vote ahead of the elections was approved after third and final reading Monday.

“If there is one sector of our free society whose eye witness reportage on the conduct of our electoral process is vital and indispensable, it is none other than the mass media of our country,” Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, chairman of the Committee on Electoral Reforms and sponsor of the bill, said in a statement.

“This bill would allow media practitioners to vote on specified days earlier than election day so that even if on election day, they are assigned to cover election events away from their place of registration as voters, they would nonetheless have the opportunity to cast their votes,” he added.

Senate Bill No. 1198, or “An Act Providing For Absentee Voting By The Members Of Media Who Are Away From The Place Of Their Registration By Reason Of Official Functions On Election Day,” gives media practitioners the same privilege to members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, and other government employees.

Under the bill, members of the media must be accredited with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) upon recommendation from the media company. The Comelec will set the voting date for the members of the media in the local government where the media outfit’s main office or satellite office is located.

“The requirements should serve as a timely reminder that not all individuals who claim they are media practitioners will automatically enjoy the right to vote under this bill,” Pimentel said. Other media staff aside from the reporters, such as crew members, will also be included in the early voting, he added.

They will also only be allowed to vote for the President, Vice-President, senators, and party-list representatives, Pimentel said.

“The limitation is purposely made to make it jibe with the limitations set forth in Executive Order No. 157, as amended, that grants the same privilege to other groups of people to vote earlier than on election day and to minimize confusion among voters concerned and the implementation of the bill once it becomes law,” he said.