Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

THUMBNAIL

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div><br/></div><p>MANILA — Only 58,000 of the 2 million overseas Filipino workers (OFW) have enrolled in the online voting system for the 2025 midterm elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Tuesday.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/4/3/pdp-laban-asks-supreme-court-to-stop-internet-voting-for-overseas-filipinos-in-2025-elections-1313">PDP-Laban asks Supreme Court to stop internet voting for overseas Filipinos in Halalan 2025</a></div><p>Under the Comelec online voting scheme, overseas voters must also be enrolled into the new system so that the poll body can confirm their identities and send them personal identification numbers that are among the safety features when casting their votes online.</p><p>“Baka after Holy Week, tumaas na yung ating mga enrollees at the same time yung mga boboto na rin po dahil nakikita natin na lagi namang ganito ang sitwasyon,” said Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco.</p><p>“Baka naman nagpapahinga yung ating mga kababayan at tinitingnan pa yung mga kaganapan,” he said.</p><p>The Comelec’s new online voting system drew criticism earlier this week after several OFWs complained that they could not visibly verify the names of the candidates they voted for.</p><p>The Comelec explained that the encrypted script that OFWs saw on their monitors is different from the ballot face that shows the candidates they voted for. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/4/14/comelec-says-no-glitch-in-overseas-voting-1837">Comelec says no glitch in overseas voting</a></div><p>So far, the enrollment for the online voting scheme for the 2025 midterm elections remains open for OFWs. </p><p>A petition has been filed before the Supreme Court to stop the Comelec’s internet voting system, but the High Court has yet to decide on the plea. </p><p>While the Comelec is bound to abide by Supreme Court’s decision, Laudiangco said that it would be difficult to revert back to physical or mail voting for OFWs. </p><p>“Kung babalik tayo sa dati, kailangan natin mag-imprenta ng balota at kailangan maipadala ito sa 96 na embassies at consulates na nakakalat sa buong mundo... Mas malaki ang kakailanganing pera dahil yung deployment napakabigat magpa-deploy,” he said. </p><p>“Kailangan 30 araw po ang botohan sa overseas so ang maaaring mangyari po ay maurong yung halalan natin dahil kailangan natin ibigay yung 30 days na voting sa kanila,” he added.</p><p>The Philippines will also have to spend P470 million if it reverts to physical voting for OFWs, Laudiangco said, noting that this is more than triple the current P100-million contract for online voting. </p><p>“Yung pinapadalang balota, almost 90 percent hindi bumabalik kahit binayaran na natin sa post office ng ibang bansa,” he said. </p><p>“Yung iba naman nalalayuan o walang oras na pumunta sa embahada o konsulada kaya nga po tumungo na ang Comelec sa internet voting hoping na… mapataas ang voter turnout dahil napakababa,” he added.</p><p>Instead of reverting back to physical voting, the Comelec hopes to include senior citizens and persons with disabilities in the online voting scheme in the next elections should its use in this year’s polls yield positive feedback, the spokesman said.</p><p>But the Comelec clarified that Congress needed to amend the law before the online voting scheme could cover more segments of the population.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EQC9R7jVzbw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>The Comelec’s new online voting system drew criticism earlier this week after several OFWs complained that they could not visibly verify the names of the candidates they voted for.</p>

The Comelec’s new online voting system drew criticism earlier this week after several OFWs complained that they could not visibly verify the names of the candidates they voted for.

Only 58,000 of 2 million OFWs enrolled in 2025 online voting system: Comelec

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

BINI

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Nation

Only 58,000 of 2 million OFWs enrolled in 2025 online voting system: Comelec

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 15, 2025 04:36 PM PHT

Read More:

Commission on Elections

Comelec

OFW

overseas Filipino workers

ANC

ANC promo

ABSNews

Halalan

Halalan 2025

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

Sign Up

I have read and agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.