THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has suspended overseas voter registration in Israel and Iran as advised by the Philippine consulates in said countries for security reasons due to continued hostilities.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said on Thursday that following Israeli government policies, consular services of foreign posts in-country, including the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv, were suspended for safety and security reasons until March 7.Garcia added that voter registration for overseas Filipinos in Iran is suspended until further notice.Consular services and voter registration in other countries in the Middle East continue to be available, however, the Comelec said.At the same time, the commission advised Middle East-based overseas Filipinos to remain vigilant and stay informed about the situation in their respective regions.“Be cautious of false or misleading information and rely only on credible sources. Pay close attention to the notices and advisories issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Philippine Embassy or Consulate, and do not hesitate to contact help lines if in distress,” it said.Overseas voters registration is part of Comelec’s preparations for the 2028 presidential and vice presidential elections.Overseas voter registration for the 2028 polls started last Dec. 1, 2025 and will end on Sept. 30, 2027.Garcia said that Comelec is looking forward to increasing the number of overseas voters, saying that at present “there are only 1.67 million registered overseas.”“With our internet voting, we are looking forward to increasing the number of our overseas Filipino voters by 3 million to 4 million,” Garcia added.All Filipino citizens abroad, including dual citizens, are eligible to register as overseas voters, provided they are not disqualified by law and are at least 18 years old on election day, or on May 8, 2028.Both local and overseas absentee voters are only allowed to vote for national candidates — president, vice president, 12 senators and one party-list group — in the upcoming 2028 national and local elections.
