Comelec readies ACMs for Filipino voters in earthquake-hit Myanmar

MANILA, Philippines — Registered Filipino voters in Myanmar will cast their votes through the automated counting machines (ACMs) for the 2025 elections.

This is what Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia said on Tuesday when asked on the mode of voting in Myanmar after it was struck by a deadly 7.7 magnitude earthquake last Friday.

“Ang gagawin namin doon ay pure machine voting na lamang. Ipapadala namin by mail yung mismong balota doon sa mga dapat na pinapadalhan doon, yung malalayong lugar doon at pagkatapos, ifi-feed namin yan sa mga makina in front of everybody,” Garcia said in an interview.

(What we will do there is pure machine voting. We will send the ballots by mail to those who need to receive them, even the far-flung areas, and then we will feed the ballots in the machine in front of everybody.)

READ: Myanmar declares week of mourning as quake death toll passes 2,000

Myanmar is among the 16 posts worldwide that will use ACM voting for the 2025 elections. Garcia said that 370 Filipinos in Myanmar are registered to vote.

Meanwhile, 77 posts, including Bangkok in Thailand will use the first ever online voting for overseas Filipino voters. Thailand was also affected by the earthquake that hit Myanmar.

Garcia said that the poll body will ensure that Filipino electorates in Myanmar can cast their votes. He noted that the ballots can be accomplished in their homes or workplace that will later be sent to the embassy.

The feeding of ballots into the ACMs will be done at the embassy. He also said that the voter may or may not be present during the feeding of ballots.

“Pwedeng in the presence of watchers and observers,” he added.

(It can be done in the presence of watchers and observers.)

He likened the situation of local absentee voting in the country where personnel from Armed Forces of the Philippines or the Philippine National Police may cast their votes in their headquarters.

The Comelec will then bring their ballots in the poll body’s main office where a mass feeding into the ACMs will be witnessed by candidates and observers.

READ: Philippines deploys search and rescue team to quake-hit Myanmar

According to Agence France-Presse, Myanmar declared a week of national mourning on Monday after the death toll passed 2,000 from the earthquake. The ruling junta said that 3,900 people are injured while 270 remain missing.

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that four Filipinos are still missing in Myanmar. The Philippines deployed its first batch of search and rescue operations to the country on Tuesday.