The Commission on Elections (Comelec) assured Monday that voter registration for Filipinos abroad in the Middle East is continuing, even amid recent escalations in the region.
Comelec Spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said the Office for Overseas Voting (OFOV) has not received reports of any suspension of registration activities at Philippine embassies or consulates.
“No voter registration abroad has been suspended so far,” Laudiangco said in a phone interview. He added that registration remains tied to ongoing consular operations.
“Registration continues as long as our embassies and consulates in the Middle East remain open,” he said. “It coincides with consular activities in these posts.”
The overseas voter registration period began on December 1, 2025, and will run until September 30, 2027.
It applies to all Philippine embassies and consulates, as well as designated local field registration centers in the Philippines.
An estimated two million Filipinos live and work in various countries across the Middle East.
The reassurance from Comelec comes after recent military tensions in the region, including attacks launched by the United States and Israel on Iran and subsequent retaliatory strikes on US military bases in several countries.
Comelec encouraged overseas voters to continue monitoring their local posts for updates and to coordinate with embassies or consulates for registration concerns. (with PNA report)
