The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confidently said in a statement issued at around 4:30 pm Saturday that overseas absentee voting “commenced smoothly in the 93 Philippine embassies and consulates-general around the world”. 589,830 overseas Filipinos are registered for the overseas absentee voting, said the DFA.
Hours after the Philippines first overseas automated elections opened in Hong Kong, partylist group Gabriela Women’s Party reported “harassment and intimidation as well as major glitches” which it said could “seriously hamper” the conduct of the overseas absentee voting there until May 10. Cynthia Abdon-Tellez said in a statement that “more names were discovered to [...]